Beautiful Boy
by PadmeSkywalker
Summary: Harry Potter was nervous. He had faced many challenges in his life, but was he prepared to face his biggest challenge yet? Part 2 added!
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter and his universe in any way. I am a humble, inspired fan._

Harry Potter was nervous.

He knew this day was coming and that he would never be prepared for it. He had spent months thinking about it. No matter how many words of encouragement had passed his way, he still could not shake the odd feeling he had in his stomach. He knew he would have to be strong, keeping a positive attitude and a smile on his face. Still, when it came down to the end, he could not keep his feelings in check.

After facing the purest evil forces and conquering them, he was about to come face to face with his biggest challenge yet.

Harry Potter was a father

* * *

><p>It was a bright, crisp day when Harry and Ginny Potter brought their newborn home in Godric's Hollow. It was a modest cottage, with a spacious garden behind the house. When they first heard about the cottage, Harry wasn't sure he wanted to live in the village where he lost his parents and where he was attacked by the foul snake, Nagini. But Ginny had convinced him to at least visit the place, promising that if he felt unsure there wouldn't be any pressure. However, when Harry walked though the gate of the white picket fence, he felt calm. As they walked through the cottage and found the garden in the back Harry squeezed Ginny's hand. It almost felt like coming home.<p>

They moved into the cottage right after the wedding. Slowly they settled into a casual life and found themselves enjoying the small village. Then about a year after they moved in, Ginny walked into Harry's office. He brought some paperwork home and was finally making some headway.

"Harry?"

"Hold on a sec, I'm almost done with this stupid form." Harry was scribbling on a small piece of parchment.

Ginny put her arms around his neck. Harry dropped his quill and leaned back in his chair. "You are very distracting," he laughed as he kissed her cheek.

"Well, you better get used to some distraction..." Ginny smiled. "I'm pregnant."

Ever since that day, Harry would switch from really excited to incredibly nervous. News travelled very quickly after Ginny told him the news. Although it was to be expected, Harry did marry into a very large extended family. Hermione screamed and clutched onto Harry and Ginny so tightly that Harry thought his blood supply would be permanently cut off. Ron took a less violent approach, after prying Hermione off, and shook Harry's hand. Ron had long accepted Harry and Ginny as a couple but they still had their awkward moments.

Mrs. Weasley cried when they told her the news one night at the Burrow, while Mr. Weasley beamed and patted his wife's hand when she couldn't calm herself. "My baby's having a baby!" she sobbed happily.

Bill and Fleur sent them flowers. Percy and Charlie sent their congratulations and when George heard the news he gave a small smile, gave his sister a hug and quietly said congratulations. He was still struggling with Fred's death and the family never gave up hope that one day he would make peace with the past.

They also received cards from their friends like Neville, Luna and half of the members of Dumbledore's Army. Ginny's former teammates from the Holyhead Harpies sent a tiny toy broomstick for the little Potter. Hagrid sent them a package and Harry was almost scared to open it. Hagrid's ideas of presents could be a bit scary since he was keen on dangerous animals as pets. However, he sent them homemade fudge, a card, and two knitted lumps that suspiciously looked like booties.

News also spread quickly in the rest of the wizarding world. It had been almost seven years since the Battle of Hogwarts and Harry was still a very famous figure. He was the youngest head Auror in history and every time he was a at work there was a new person who wished him congratulations. The young Potters received scores of letters from well-wishers across the country. Harry and Ginny started to read them all but for every one they read five more would arrive. Ginny joked that they would have to build an owlery in the back garden if the letters kept coming.

Harry and Ginny tried to get on with their lives but that seemed to be quite a task. Mrs. Weasley popped in every week to "discuss" with Ginny about the preparations for the baby. Hermione had taken it upon herself to read every book on having children and would send a copy of every one she deemed useful to Ginny. Ron complained to Harry one morning, that she had even subscribed to the weekly magazine _Wanda Witch's Parenting Tips_. Ron had the unfortunate accident to open the volume on how to deal with a fussy toddler. The magazine would not stop screaming for days. Harry was secretly grateful that Ginny didn't bombard their house with such magazines.

As the days passed, Harry and Ginny became closer than ever. Ginny would rest her head on Harry's shoulder at night and the two of them would wait to feel the growing baby inside Ginny. Occasionally they would feel a foot or an elbow and it would be all the more real. They were tempted to know if it was a boy or a girl but decided to be surprised. Ginny bet a silver sickle that they would have a boy and Harry countered two more sickles that they would have a girl. They tried to talk about baby names but there were so many to choose from. The made a list which they added to and crossed names off of at least a dozen times. Every time Harry looked at Ginny he fell in love with her all over again. She was so beautiful, her red hair flowing past her shoulders, her eyes sparkling and alive. She was always so confident, so sure of everything. Harry wished he felt as confident as she did.

Harry had always wanted a family. His early years were spent longing for a family who cared for him, or for a family to even notice he was in the room. When he met the Weasley family, he was given a glimpse of what a loving family could be like and he felt lucky that they welcomed him into the group, despite the aura of danger that was always around him. Now during the years of peace, it seemed like his days of being alone were just a nightmare that he had finally awoken from. He got comfortable in his somewhat normal, wizard life. He had friends, loved Ginny more than life and there was always a small hope that children would be in the future. Everything he had dreamed of and more was now a reality but there was a nagging fear in the back of his mind...

How could he be a good father, when his own father had been taken away from him? How could he teach this young baby how to be a good person and make the right decisions? What if he couldn't provide a good life?

Harry tried to reason that all fathers felt this way at one point of the journey. But Harry wouldn't be a typical father. He had faced danger and defeated the darkest wizard of all time. He had spent months on the run and the following year after that making peace with his troubled past. In the past, Harry had half expected to not make it this far in his life and had never made a plan. He had gotten used to living from moment to moment. What if he couldn't be a good father?

Of course, he did have some sort of practice with his godson Teddy Lupin who was turning seven. Harry was always involved in Teddy's life and formed a strong friendship with Andromeda Tonks, Teddy's grandmother. Teddy was a constant visitor at the Potter cottage and slept over almost every Thursday night. When little Teddy found out about the baby he made plans to teach the baby everything he knew about life, which he thought would be quite impressive after his seventh birthday.

Harry loved his godson and tried to be there for him whenever he could. Ginny loved Teddy too and promised Harry that they would do anything for Teddy. She reminded Harry that he wasn't the only one who missed Remus and Tonks.

Ginny knew that something was bothering Harry. He never told her exactly what it was but she sensed it had something to do with the baby. Harry didn't want to tell her how he was feeling. He felt guilty. What if she thought he didn't want the baby, when he really did want a son/daughter? They almost talked about it when they were setting up the nursery. With a few flicks of their wands, the crib was built by invisible hands and the walls were painted a soft blue with white clouds.

Harry laughed as they put away some baby clothes Mrs. Weasley had dropped off earlier that morning.

"What's so funny?" Ginny asked.

"Everything's so tiny."

"I know, it's hard to imagine sometimes isn't it?" she smiled.

"I hope..." Harry trailed off as he picked up two little white socks that fit in the palm of his hand.

"You hope what?" Ginny looked at Harry, hoping he would open up.

Harry was silent for a moment and then he shook his head. "Nothing," he smiled. He put the socks in the drawer. Harry gave her a kiss and went back to decorating the room.

Ginny put her hand on his arm. "It's okay Harry. You can talk to me."

"It's nothing, really."

"We always promised we would be honest with each other, there's no reason to break that promise now."

Harry sighed and looked out the window. "How can I be a father Ginny? I wasn't raised like you, in a big family. As a matter of fact, I was raised to think I was nothing but an inconvenience and then I grew up with the world wondering whether I would make it past my 17th birthday or not. What if I screw up?"

Ginny walked over to him. "Yes, I grew up in a family with two parents. That doesn't mean I know how to be a mother. Parenting is something you and I are going to figure out together. I know you will be a great dad, I've never doubted that you would be."

"Easy for you to say," he said. "You're biased."

"Easy for me to say because I've seen the way you are with Teddy. Remember when his friend next door went camping with his father and Teddy cried because Remus isn't here. The only one who could calm him was you. Then pair of you went camping in the back yard and Teddy was so proud to talk about his godfather who took him camping. Or do you remember when Teddy and Victoire broke three eye of newt jars in Mom's kitchen and instead of getting them in trouble you quietly helped them clean it up?"

"How can I forget? It took us hours to find all the eyes...wait a minute? How did you know about that?" Harry asked.

Ginny smiled, "I grew up with six brothers, I know everything that goes on in the Burrow."

Harry laughed, "Of course."

"Plus look at how you care for your friends! How many times have you been the referee for Ron and Hermione? Look how gentle you are with George. You were the only one he would talk to at first when he wouldn't come out of his room after Fred died. It's been so hard on him you've tried to be there as much as possible. And you set up that support group for all the family members for the people that were lost during the battle."

"I know how it feels to lose someone you love," Harry said simply. Harry always felt responsible for taking care of the people who dealt with loss.

"Not to mention that whole saving the world thing," Ginny grinned.

"Yeah, yeah, back to your point," Harry grinned too.

"My point, Harry, is that you love so much, with your whole heart. In the end, that's all that really matters."

Harry turned and held Ginny, kissing her neck. "I love you."

"I love you," she smiled. "Don't worry Harry, as long as we are together, we can do anything."

"Speaking of doing anything," Harry said. He magically turned the lights off and whispered, "Astra Supremia".

Instantly the ceiling was covered with little twinkling stars.

"Oh Harry! It's beautiful!"

Slowly the nagging in Harry's mind started to fade.

At exactly 2:33 a.m. that night Ginny shook Harry's arm.

"Harry? Wake up, my water broke."

"Huh? Oh, alright, I'll fix it tomorrow," Harry mumbled from his pillow.

Ginny hit him with a pillow, "HARRY!"

Harry shot up, "Hey! I said I'll...oh..." He jumped out of bed and frantically looked for a pair of pants. "Ok Ginny, don't panic, everything's okay!"

"We have to tell Mum and Dad," Ginny said, sliding out of her nightgown and into a loose dress.

"Right! I'll take care of it!" Harry yelled, running down the hall and pulling a t-shirt over his head.

"Don't forget Ron and Hermione!" Ginny yelled. A minute later she heard a crash. Before she could even ask Harry yelled, "I'm okay! Everything's okay!"

Ginny shook her head.

Somehow they managed to to apparate to the maternity ward of St. Mungo's in one piece. Within minutes Ginny was admitted to a room. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley arrived moments later.

"Oh Harry dear, this is so exciting!" Mrs. Weasley said as she grabbed Harry into a giant hug. "How are you Ginny darling? Are you alright? We got here as fast as we could!"

Ginny tried not to laugh, "Thanks mom."

"Molly, relax. She's in good hands here," Arthur said, wiping his slightly sweaty forehead with a worn handkerchief. "I've never seen Molly run so fast," Arthur said on the sly to Harry.

"Of all the times to have a baby, Ginny has to pick in the middle of the night," said a voice from behind. Ron and Hermione were just walking through the door.

"Ron!" Hermione shot Ron a reproachful look and punched him the arm.

"Ow!" Ron rubbed his elbow. "It was just a joke!"

"Little Ronnie, when will you leave the jokes to the professionals?" George appeared behind Ron.

"How did you know we were here?" Harry asked.

"Mum practically put an ad in the_ Daily Prophet_." George grinned.

"I did no such thing!" Molly scolded.

"Angelina offered to babysit Victoire and off Bill, Fleur and I went. We just got here. Percy the magnificent sends his condolences but he will not be joining us due to a bad cold. He will be expecting updates throughout the night."

"Oh zis where everyone is!" Fleur stuck her head through the door. "We were wondering! Bill!" Fleur called into the hallway. "'Arry and Ginny are here! So is the rest of zee family!"

Chaos ensued as everyone started talking at the same time. Harry look across the room and saw Ginny wince with pain. She was trying to breathe but she was finding it hard to concentrate.

"Hey everyone?" Harry tried to get their attention but they kept on talking.

Ginny caught Harry's eye. Her breathing was faster and she mouthed 'get them out of here!'

"Oi!" Harry yelled and whistled. The talking stopped and the rest of the Weasleys looked at Harry.

"We appreciate you all being here but would you mind letting Ginny rest for a little while. We have a long night ahead of us."

"Are you sure you're alright?" Molly said.

Arthur took his wife's hand, "We'll wait outside. Come along dear." He gave his daughter a kiss on the forehead and patted Harry on the back.

"You call us eef you need us 'Arry," Fleur said as she and Bill exited the room.

George cleared his throat, "Yes, well, I can see you already have the father part down Harry. I admire the way you're throwing us unceremoniously from the room!"

"George don't tease!" Ginny said.

George laughed and joined his parents in the waiting room.

Hermione and Ron were the last in the room. Hermione gave both Ginny and Harry big hugs. "I've already mapped out the best routes to the bathroom and the snack areas so don't hesitate if you need anything," she said triumphantly.

Harry tried not to laugh, "Thanks Hermione."

Ron grinned at Harry. "See you later mate."

Ron closed the door behind him.

"Finally!" Ginny sighed. "Thanks for that," she smiled.

"Anything you want," he said.

It several, painful hours later when the newest Potter was born. Harry stayed by Ginny's side the whole time.

"Congratulations," the nurse said to the new parents. "It's a boy."

Harry couldn't stop smiling. The nurse handed the baby to Ginny. Wrapped in a blue blanket, tiny fists emerged and a small little cry was heard throughout the room.

"Ginny, he's perfect," Harry whispered as his son latched his tiny fingers around Harry's finger.

Ginny kissed Harry and then kissed her tiny son. "He's perfect. James Sirius Potter. Our son."

For a moment Harry felt a catch in his throat. Time seemed to stop as he held his wife and son in his arms. He had never expected life to feel this perfect. All the challenges he faced, all the danger and all the unknown worries of the future meant nothing. He thought he had seen some amazing magic in his life, but nothing was more magical than the moment he became a new father.

"James Sirius Potter. Welcome to the world."


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you for reading on, here goes chapter 2!

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><p>The sun was shining in the small hospital room. It was well after noon as Harry sat on a chair next to the bed, clutching the small bundle in his arms. Ginny watched her husband and son drowsily. She gave a small laugh.<p>

"Don't be afraid to hold him," she said.

"Am I holding his head right?" Harry asked. "I keep thinking I'll break him somehow."

"You're doing fine. I bet after a few days you'll be a natural."

Harry hoped so. His whole life he was able to fly on a broom, catch a small, flying gold ball, steal a dragon's egg without breaking it...but those seemed like trivial tasks compared to holding his baby son. It didn't matter if those other things broke, but his son was not replaceable. James slept happily in his father's arms. He had a patch of unruly dark hair like Harry but had Ginny's sweet brown eyes. Little James was the perfect combination of his mother and father.

"Harry take him into the waiting room before they all come charging in here," she said quietly, a hint of a smile on her face.

"You think it's safe to send me out there alone?" Harry raised an eyebrow playfully.

"You'll be safe, no one is interested in _you_," Ginny teased.

Harry laughed. "I'll be off then." Harry started to the door when Ginny spoke again.

"By the way," she smiled. "You owe me a sickle."

When Harry walked into the waiting room, the entire Weasley clan jumped and ran over to Harry and James. Harry noticed another person had arrived, for Hagrid's unmistakable form dominated one corner of the room. He was sitting on the floor because there were no chairs big enough to hold the half giant.

"Alrigh' Harry?" he grinned.

"Everyone, I'd like you to meet James Sirius Potter."

Molly immediately burst into tears. "Oh he's beautiful! Another grandchild Arthur!" she cried, dabbing her eyes with Mr. Weasley's handkerchief.

Hermione started to tear as well, "Congratulations Harry!"

"Don't mind them," Ron grinned. "They've been tearing up since they heard the baby crying."

"Blimey Harry, he looks just like yeh when you was a baby. I'll never forget the day when I picked yeh up on the motorbike," Hagrid also pulled out a large polka dot hanky.

"Not you too Hagrid!" Bill laughed, patting Hagrid's back.

"Wait until Victoire meets 'er leetle cousin!" Fleur cooed dreamily. "He looks just like you 'Arry!"

"Don't say that," George said. "He might grow into the fine Weasley looks." George's tone was light but there was a slight hollowness in his voice. He was probably thinking about Fred.

"How's Ginny?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"She's fine, exhausted. She only threw one cup of ice at me," Harry said, laughing.

At this Ron, George and Bill laughed.

"I should probably head back. Ginny wanted me to just pop out and show off the baby."

Hermione checked her watch, "We should get going and let you rest for a while."

There was a flurry of hugs and kisses and promises to stop by later in the day. Harry watched his family leave one by one until he was alone in the waiting room.

"You see all those people James?" He whispered to the baby, who had woken up from all the commotion. "All those people are our family. You'll always know how it feels to have a family. I promise."

Harry gently kissed his son's forehead and walked back to Ginny's room. Ginny was already sound asleep. Harry placed James in a little bassinet beside the bed and plopped down in the chair. The new family slept for the rest of the day.

* * *

><p>The next day, after James had been weighed, measured and subjected to all different tests, they were released from the hospital and the young family traveled home. The sun was bright that late April morning and there wasn't a cloud in the sky as Harry opened the door for Ginny and James.<p>

"Welcome to our home James," Ginny cooed as they walked into the cottage.

They walked up the stairs to the nursery.

"What do you think of the room huh?" Harry asked the baby, who was fast asleep by the time Ginny gently placed him in the crib.

"You get back to me later then," Harry smiled, gently rubbing his son's head.

Ginny stretched as she turned to Harry and whispered, "Lets go downstairs while he's resting."

"Are we allowed to leave him?" Harry asked.

"Well we won't get house points taken off if we let him sleep," Ginny teased.

"But what if he stops breathing? Or he gets scared?"

Ginny tried not to laugh. "Trust me, I've set a charm around the room so we can hear any noise through this." Harry couldn't believe it but she held up an altered extendable ear. "I've improved the ear a little," she said, placing a little ear by the crib and the other in her pocket.

Harry nodded. "Kind of like a magical baby monitor?"

"A baby _what_?"

"Nevermind."

When they walked into the kitchen they noticed a note on the table:

_Dear Harry, Ginny and sweet James,_

_We stopped by to do some tidying up before the baby came home. (Something must have crashed on the way down the stairs). Mrs. Weasley also wanted us to drop off a few casseroles she had made for you. They are in the refrigerator, along with a few groceries we bought. Ron picked up your post and there are a ton of cards waiting for you! I put them in the office. Ron said he would keep things running at the Ministry and tell everyone the good news. We'll stop by tomorrow to check in. If you need anything just send an owl._

_Love, Hermione_

Ginny tried not to laugh as Harry blushed when he read about something crashing down the stairs. (He could have sworn that sock was on all the way.) He smiled to himself after finishing the note. Not for the first time, Harry was grateful to have Hermione and Ron as friends.

Ginny opened the refrigerator and there were at least fifteen different casseroles neatly stocked on the shelves. There was also an assortment of vegetables, fruit, cheeses and three small pies.

Most wizards did not have a typical refrigerator but it had been a wedding present from Harry's cousin Dudley. Dudley had always had a strong fondness for food and the only surprise was that he actually sent Harry a present. Dudley was the only one of Harry's muggle family that he talked to. Harry had expected never to see the Dursleys again. He was never quite sure who told Dudley about the wedding but one morning a large crate appeared at the Burrow.

Mr. Weasley's face lit up when he saw the present and did a thorough examination of the 'ferigadator' as he called it. He helped Harry adapt it to the magic cottage, all while Mrs. Weasley was distracted of course. She never approved of Mr. Weasley tampering with muggle things, but over the years Arthur had managed to sneak his hobby in here and there. As a thank you for helping, Harry let Arthur keep the plug to add to his collection and Arthur looked as though Christmas had come early. Even though Harry was a powerful wizard, Arthur was ecstatic that his only son-in-law had a muggle upbringing. After the refrigerator was installed in the cottage, even Molly was impressed with it.

"I think Mum's trying to feed an army," Ginny said, motioning to the small mountain of food.

"I don't mind," Harry smiled, his mouth already watering for the wonderful food that Molly prepared. "Do you want me to make you something?"

"Yes! That hospital food was horrible. I would rather have eaten some of Hagrid's rock cakes than that garbage!"

Harry turned on the oven and randomly chose a casserole. On each casserole Harry noticed detailed instructions on how to reheat and serve each meal in Molly's handwriting. He wondered if there were any other notes hidden throughout their house.

Ginny took the ear out of her pocket and placed it on the table. It was quiet up in the nursery, but that didn't stop Harry from wanting to check on the baby about a dozen times in the twenty minutes it took to make lunch. Ginny insisted each time that the baby was fine and managed to keep her husband in the kitchen. Just as they started digging into the shepherd's pie Ginny put her fork down.

"Harry?"

"What's the matter? Is the food still cold?"

"Can we eat closer to the baby?"

Harry smiled, "I'll get the plates."

* * *

><p>For the next week Ginny and Harry practically lived in the nursery. They didn't need the extendable ear because they were constantly checking on James. They were there for every cry, every nap and anything else that newborn James needed. Mostly they watched James as he slept and were amazed that something so beautiful and small could be theirs. Harry practically set up post in the hallway while James was in the nursery. On the rare occasion where James would actually sleep when they wanted him to, Ginny would try to persuade Harry to get some rest. He would always say he would be there in a couple of minutes, that he had to check on something. Ginny would wake up hours later, and find Harry not next to her but exactly where she left him. She thought it was sweet that Harry was so protective but she had to wonder if he was a little <em>too<em> protective. When Harry was asleep one afternoon, Ginny talked to her mother about him.

"Oh Ginny, he's just being a new father," Mrs. Weasley said as she directed the laundry into the right closets. She wasn't too concerned about Harry's behavior but Ginny still felt unsure about it.

Molly came over every few days and offered to watch the baby so Ginny and Harry could get some sleep. However, when they tried to relax they would wind up talking about James until their eyes could not stay open. Other than Molly, Ron and Hermione were their only visitors that first week. Ron would update Harry about the office but he was so tired that the information went in one ear and out the other. Hermione offered to clean the dishes and do the laundry but Molly usually beat her to it. She also offered to write thank you notes for all the cards the Potters received. This was no easy task because the cards came by the dozens. As a matter of fact it was from Ron that Ginny found an indirect answer to her worry about Harry.

Ron was helping Ginny clear some dishes while Hermione and Harry were talking about some Ministry business. Hermione was senior in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Her department was working on a secret project with the Aurors and she had to ask Harry a few questions. Ron tried to stop her but unfortunately since Harry was head of his department his opinion was necessary.

"It's pretty weird having a baby sister who's a mother," Ron, never one for tact, said.

"I'm just glad you aren't ready to kill Harry like you used to be when he and I started dating," Ginny said, rolling her eyes.

Ron made a face, "that was ages ago! Besides I always thought you were a good pair."

"You did not! You were ready to punch him."

"I wasn't serious," Ron said, turning all sorts of red. "It's hard being a big brother. Constantly worrying that some creep will take advantage of your little sister."

"I grew up with all boys, I could always take care of myself," Ginny said indignantly. "And you know that Harry wasn't a creep, he's your best friend!"

"Yeah, but I'm always going to look out for you. Once you start watching out for some one you love, it's always hard to balance it out. Even if you want to step aside, it's not easy to let things go."

Ginny stopped and looked at her brother. She thought of Harry, constantly watching over his new family. _"Once you start watching out for some one you love...it's not easy to let things go."_

Ron noticed Ginny staring at him. "What?" he asked.

Ginny gave her brother a hug. "Sometimes you make a lot of sense Ron."

Ron sighed and muttered, "Always the tone of surprise."

* * *

><p>Harry was so tired that first week he forgot all about his fatherhood worries. He and Ginny got into a parenting rhythm. They took turns feeding, rocking and changing diapers. It wasn't until the night before he had to return to work that Harry felt a little sad. He was in the nursery, sitting in the rocking chair while James slept against Harry's chest. Harry kept the chair at a steady pace and a twinkling melody was floating from a music box on the chest of drawers. The music box was a gift from Hermione. She had read that music helped settle the baby from stress. Not to mention that Hermione had always loved the music box one of her aunts had given her as a baby. It was a Granger tradition. The box had quickly become one of James' favorite things.<p>

Harry quickly adapted to the basics of baby care. He didn't mind waking up in the middle of the night to give Ginny a break. He didn't mind changing dirty diapers, fetching blankets or doing anything for Ginny while she nursed James. It wasn't until he caught up on sleep that the reality of baby set in. James was a miracle and the only person who totally belonged to him. James was the first living relative of Harry's who seemed to enjoy being with Harry. James didn't do much but he was quick to learn his parents' voices. He was a good baby but he was the most content when Harry or Ginny was in the room. Harry loved to watch James sleep. He was so sweet, and there was something about feeling his son's chest rise and fall, and hearing the little sighs that was out of this world.

Harry knew he could handle the basics. It was easy once he got used to a routine. It was exhausting but he knew what to expect. He wondered what would happen when the unexpected came along. He wondered if he could even make it a whole day away from the house. He knew Ginny would be fine. She was fantastic as always. Harry was nervous to be away from the baby. He had spent the first two weeks of James' life no more than a cry away. Would he have the strength to be separated from his son? It would only be for a few hours but it was a few hours more than he was comfortable.

This feeling was new to Harry. There had been times in his life where he was separated from his loved ones. For the first eleven years of his life he had always felt alone in the stuffy house on Privet Drive. He had always been able to manage it, even if at the time he would drown in his loneliness. He had always taken care of himself.

Now he had a son and things were completely different. He tried to figure out why leaving for work was so hard to think about. He felt slightly ridiculous.

The music box stopped playing as Harry closed his eyes for a moment. He thought he would rest his eyes and try to enjoy the moment. He was determined not to fall asleep. The cottage was quiet, the night was so calm that even the crickets were still. Harry was losing the fight with his dreams when a clear voice spoke out.

"I've always dreamt of this moment."

Harry's eyes popped open with a start. He knew that voice but...it was impossible. Harry held the baby tight as he jumped from the chair. Standing by the doorway was the figure of Lily Potter, smiling.

"Harry, you should know by now that _nothing_ is impossible."


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you for the reviews, I really appreciate it. Onto Chapter 3! A little short but there will be more later promise!

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><p>Harry had trouble remembering to breathe. "<em>Mum?<em>"

"I know this is a little bit of a shock," Lily said, slowly walking closer to her son. "But we couldn't let the opportunity pass."

"_We?_"

"You didn't think we'd not come visit our first grandson?" Harry's father, the first James Potter, appeared behind Lily. "And once your mother and I decided to come..."

"There was no way we were going to stay behind," a voice said from the corner of the room. Harry turned and saw Sirius Black and Remus Lupin standing side by side, smiling triumphantly.

For a second, Harry thought he was insane as he looked from his parents to his godfather and friend. The last time he was in their presence he was facing death. They had been no more than a shadow of their former selves, brought to him by the resurrection stone. Now here they were standing in his house, looking just as real as before. All four stood waiting for him to make a move, they were calm as if they just popped in for a visit rather than come back from the dead.

Harry eventually spoke again. "Am I dying?"

Lily shook her head immediately, "No! Of course not Harry."

"Are you still..." Harry fumbled.

"Dead?" Remus finished helpfully.

"Well, technically yes," Sirius said, there was the faintest gleam in his eye. "But that wouldn't stop us from coming to see you."

Harry had to sit down. "I'm _so_ lost."

Lily and James stood next to their son, and surprisingly Harry could feel his father's hand on his shoulder. "It's true, we didn't come back to life, so to speak," James said.

Lily stroked her son's hair. "That doesn't mean we aren't always with you. We promised you before that we would always stay with you..."

"Until the end," James nodded.

Sirius spoke up again. "You have a long way to go until you reach the end Harry. You have your whole life to live, a family to raise. We couldn't leave you on your own with a whole life ahead."

"But why am I seeing you now? Why not before?" Harry asked.

"We're good, but not _that_ good," Sirius chuckled.

"We can't appear all the time," Remus said quietly. "The world of the living and the world of the dead can never really mix, you know that Harry. Let's just say that tonight is a special circumstance."

Little James let out a sigh and nuzzled his face against his father's t-shirt. The night was calm and silent, not even the crickets outside made noise.

James spoke up, "I know what you are feeling Harry. We all do. We came because you needed us."

"I don't know what to say," Harry said. "I still don't know whether any of this is real or not."

"Matters of the heart are always real," Remus smiled.

"We came to tell you to not be afraid sweetheart," Lily said softly. "I know you are scared that you won't be around for little James."

"No, that's not it," Harry disagreed. "I'm just a little nervous to go back to work that's all."

"Yes it is son," James said. "Look inside your heart. Deep down you feel like you won't always be there, just like we weren't there for you."

"Dad, that's ridiculous. I'm not afraid of dying. I've already died, sort of."

"True," Sirius said. "But it's still in the back of your mind. You are wondering what will happen if you aren't there for the right moment. Trust us, we've been there. We all have felt the same way at one point."

"It's because we had to leave you Harry," tears glistened in Lily's eyes. "I wish things could have been different for us, but not even magic can fix everything."

Harry felt his stomach drop. "Mum, it wasn't your fault or Dad's. I never blamed you for what happened. I was lucky to have you as parents."

"Still it has never been easy for you," James said, kneeling to be eye level to Harry. "As your father, I've watched you grow and become a good man. I've seen your ups, downs and everything in between. Your mother and I couldn't be any prouder of you but we've always had to feel everything one step removed. That's weighed on my heart more than I can ever say. But you have the chance to do what I never could. You can be there for your son, that is the gift fate has given to you."

Lily spoke up. "Your destiny is different from ours. You and Ginny can give your children a better world _and_ be part of it."

Harry felt one tear fall, his mother wiped his cheek gently. "Your father is right. This life is a gift, do not be afraid to embrace it."

"What if I get taken away?" Harry said, barely above a whisper. He couldn't believe it was him speaking.

"This is your time to live," Sirius said, moving closer. "You've proven that to the world, prove it to yourself now. Learn from us that life is precious, and that it's not to be wasted. Take the good memories of our time together and turn it into a better future. You've laid the foundation. Besides, some one has to teach little James how to break the rules seeing as we're unavailable."

Harry laughed, it felt good. "How exactly did you know all this?"

Sirius put on a face of innocence, "as if you could hide anything from us!" Sirius could always make things lighter.

"Does it ever go away," Harry asked quietly.

"Over time it might," Remus said. He looked a little sad and Harry knew he was thinking of Teddy. "Children are a gift, even if they frighten us a bit."

Little James let out another little sigh. Harry looked at his son, amazed that he was so oblivious to the world around him. "Do you want to meet James?"

"Are you kidding?" James laughed.

"He looks just like you Harry," Remus said as the four of them took turns gazing at the baby.

"A chip of the old wizard block," James beamed.

"I think there's a little bit of me in there as well," Sirius grinned. "If I remember correctly, you had a much bigger head Prongs. Thankfully this child will not suffer with that shameful trait."

"You just wish you looked as good as I did," James scoffed playfully.

Harry smiled. It was nice to know that some things would never change, even in the after life.

Lily kissed her grandson on his little head and stroked his cheek. "Don't you worry," she whispered to the baby. "You won't have to listen to them but we'll always watch over you, beautiful boy."

In the distance Harry could hear someone calling his name.

The four looked at each other sadly. "It's time for us to go," Remus said.

"But you just got here," Harry protested.

"We said what we needed to say," Sirius said, holding his godson by the shoulders. "Our time is up."

Someone was still calling his name, but he couldn't quite make it out.

Remus stepped forward, "thank you for taking care of Teddy, Harry. Knowing that he is safe with you makes it slightly easier to go back. I'll never be far."

"It's an honor to be there for Teddy," Harry smiled. "Just like you were for me."

Remus patted his cheek and moved away. The room was getting a little hazy. Sirius said his good bye next.

"I miss you Sirius," Harry looked at his godfather.

"Remember what I told you Harry. The ones we love never truly leave us." Sirius placed his hand on Harry's chest. "We live on in you."

The distance grew louder, a woman was calling him. Harry tried his best to ignore it. James came and gave his son a hug.

"You are a remarkable man Harry Potter, and I am ridiculously proud to call you my son. Take care of yourself and your family, be the father I know you can be, without fear. I love you."

"I love you Dad." It was harder to say good bye with every passing second. Harry felt a catch in his throat as his mother stood before him, the last to say to say farewell.

Lily hugged her son and kissed his cheek. "Enjoy your life Harry. You deserve all it has to offer and more. Never forget that I'm always with you."

"Thank you Mum," Harry said, fighting the tears. "For everything."

"Good bye Harry," Lily whispered. "I love you...my beautiful boy..."

_"Harry?"_

"I love you. Mum! I love you too!"

_"Harry?"_

The last thing Harry saw was his mother's face slowly disappearing, mouthing the words _"I love you..."_

* * *

><p>"Harry?"<p>

Harry's eyes flew open as he woke up with a start.

"Harry, wake up! You were dreaming," Ginny was by his side, whispering.

Harry looked around. He was still in the nursery but the only one in the room was Ginny. The moon shined bright from the window, making the shadows reach all corners of the room. Little James cooed from his crib, the music box was playing again.

"Did you see them?" Harry looked up at Ginny.

"See who?" Ginny asked.

"My..." Harry was going to say 'parents' but then he noticed the look on Ginny's face. "No one. What happened?"

"You fell asleep with the baby. It was time for his midnight feeding and I found the two of you in the rocking chair," Ginny playfully rubbed the back of Harry's neck. It was something she had started doing since before they were married. "I tried to wake you up but you were in a pretty deep sleep. I just finished feeding the baby and you started mumbling. Are you okay?"

Harry sat there for a minute trying to process what had happened. His parents, Sirius and Remus had been so real, he couldn't possibly have dreamed all of it. He had felt the hugs and the warmth of their hands. Had it not been real?

"Harry?" Ginny said hesitantly.

Harry suddenly remembered what Remus had said,_ 'All matters of the heart are real.'_ Slowly, Harry smiled.

"Harry are you alright? Talk to me," Ginny asked again, gently nudging his arm.

Harry stood up, slipped one arm around Ginny and kissed her. "I'm fine," he said once they broke apart. "Just a dream that's all."

"Are you sure?"

Harry switched the light off. "Let's go to bed."

Ginny checked that James was warm enough then they quietly closed the door. Arm in arm they walked down the hall to their bedroom. For the first time in two weeks Harry calmly crawled into bed and fell asleep next to the woman he loved.


	4. Chapter 4

_Six months later..._

Harry was trying to finish his work quickly. He had promised Ginny he would be home early to help with the last minute preparations. Ginny had been cleaning and decorating the house for the past week. Harry had tried to keep up with her to do list but found it best to stay out of her way. Halloween was tomorrow and they decided to have the whole family over to celebrate James' first holiday. The entire Weasley clan was coming, as was Teddy and his grandmother. A baby's first Halloween was an occasion to be marked in the wizarding world, and James' parents were going to make it a memorable evening.

James was a happy six month old. He was always laughing, smiling and growing stronger every day. He was interested in the things around him and was determined to examine them with his uncoordinated fingers. He was sitting up on his own, although occasionally he was a little wobbly. He loved playing peek-a-boo with his mother, babbled to her in baby talk, and followed her with his eyes everywhere she went. James knew Harry was coming home the second before he apparated into the room. Once he saw his father, James would scream "Dada!" until Harry would pick him up. He usually stayed glued to his father's side until bedtime. Even though 'dada' was usually every baby's first word, Harry couldn't help but feel shameless pride that James had learned 'dada' before 'mama'. Of course he kept that particular thought to himself. Ginny was his wife but that didn't exempt him from her formidable Bat-Bogey hex.

Harry checked his watch, it was almost five. Ginny was expecting him any minute. Harry was filing the last of his paperwork which seemed to be endless. When he was almost finished, the door to the office opened and Ron walked in.

"Hey Ron, I thought you went home already," Harry said.

"I'm still waiting for Hermione," Ron said. "She's been working overtime in her department this week."

Harry looked up, "Halloween muggle pranks?"

Ron nodded, "Yep. I offered to help but Hermione is relentless."

They both knew when Hermione was determined, she was unstoppable. They made small talk for the next few minutes as Harry continued closing up the office. Harry noticed that Ron seemed a little on edge. His friend would not be still and would pick up things, twirl them around and put them down again. Several times Ron looked like he was going to ask Harry something but then reconsidered. Harry checked his watch again. It was a few minutes after five. Ginny would kill him if he were late.

"I better get going, Ginny is putting me to work as soon as I get home," Harry said.

Ron looked distracted.

"Ron?" Harry asked. He nudged his friend's shoulder.

"Huh? Oh right. Ginny's going mental over Halloween."

"Are you okay Ron?"

"Yeah I'm fine, why?"

Harry could think of a couple reasons but decided not to push it. "I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"Yeah tomorrow," he paused. "Do you think Hermione and I could come early, before everyone else gets there?" Ron asked.

"Sure," Harry said. "Why don't you come over around four?"

Ron looked relieved. "Four sounds great. Thanks Harry."

* * *

><p>By 7 p.m. the Potter household was full of Halloween decorations. There were orange and purple streamers draped in every corner. Dozens of candles, strategically placed in every room, were waiting to be lighted. Candy, cakes and other goodies had taken over the small kitchen and because they looked so delicious it was increasingly harder to not touch them as the night settled in. However, most noticeable of all decorations were the dozens of carved pumpkins. They lined the pathways, sat on shelves, were the focal point of each centerpiece, and floated on the ceilings.<p>

When Ginny told Harry that he needed to carve pumpkins, he thought it would be an easy task compared to the vigorous cleaning and never ending laundry. This illusion was quickly shattered as Ginny opened the back door and Harry saw the sea of orange in the yard. There had to be at least 100 different pumpkins in a wide range of shapes and sizes. He looked unbelievingly at his wife.

"You want me to carve _all_ of these?"

Ginny raised an eyebrow. "Haven't I been saying that for the past week?"

"Will all of these even fit in the house?"

Ginny shrugged, "I want James' first Halloween to be special..."

"So do I love, but...it's not like he'll remember if I carved five pumpkins or 100."

Ginny gave her husband a smack on the arm. "Harry James Potter! We decided to have a party and I want to make it the best! Be thankful I didn't ask Hagrid to provide the pumpkins!"

A fleeting image of giant pumpkins flashed before Harry's eyes as he remembered the Halloween, ages ago, when Hagrid 'helped' his pumpkin patch grow to such a size that people could sit inside. Harry looked again at his wife, her brown eyes blazing.

"Well, er...these pumpkins won't be so bad to carve, looking at them they're really small actually..." Harry said.

So that's where he found himself, after 7:30 surrounded by pumpkins while James laughed from his bouncy chair. Being a wizard, the task was not as hard as carving the muggle way but after Harry finished one, another pumpkin would hop on the table waiting for a design. James tried to reach for each pumpkin as it trotted by and babbled happily to his father.

"Dada!"

Harry looked at his son. "Are you having a good time? Maybe next year you can help me buddy."

James laughed and pointed at the pumpkin. "Dada!"

"That's a pumpkin," Harry brought the little pumpkin over to James. The baby patted the gourd and babbled. "Can you say pumpkin James?"

"Dada!"

Harry laughed, "Good try anyway."

Harry went back to carving. A few minutes later, James was suddenly silent. Harry looked back and saw he was staring at the door. "What's the matter James?"

"Ha!" James said as he starting clapping.

"What do you see?"

"Haaaa!" James yelled again.

A second later the doorbell rang.

"Harry! Can you get that!" Ginny yelled from upstairs.

Harry scooped James out of the bouncy chair, he was now screeching the word "Ha!"

When Harry opened the door he saw Hermione clutching a small bag.

"Hermione!" Harry said, switching the squirming James to the other arm.

"Hello Harry," Hermione sniffed. "May I come in?"

"Oh, sure," Harry stepped aside. James was pointing to Hermione as she crossed the threshold. "Haaa!"

Hermione gave a small smile. "Hello James."

James was pushing against his father trying to reach Hermione. Harry gladly handed him over. James snuggled happily against his godmother.

"Did you apparate here?" Harry asked, closing the door.

"Yes, why?"

Harry smiled, "My son's a genius. He sensed you right before you rang the bell."

Hermione started to cry.

"Oh, that was supposed to make you happy!" Harry said.

Hermione wiped her eyes, "You're right, I'm sorry. It's just..."

"Hermione? What are you doing here?" Ginny asked, walking down the stairs.

"I just needed to get out of the house, I'm sorry for barging in like this..." Hermione started to explain as the doorbell rang again. Before Harry could open the door there was a quick knock. Ron's voice came from the other side.

"Harry? Ginny? Are you home?"

"Do _NOT_ let that man in here!" Hermione's tone was sharp. She handed James to Ginny.

"Hermione, I know you're in there!" Ron said.

Harry went to open the door.

"Harry!"

Harry shrugged, "I can't let him stand out there all night Hermione! We have neighbors you know."

Ron looked quite disheveled and walked right past Harry.

"Ron I don't want to talk to you!" Hermione huffed and started to walk into the living room.

"You can't ignore me forever Hermione. You won't even let me explain!" Ron said as he followed her.

Ginny looked at Harry, this was going to be trouble.

"There's nothing to explain," Hermione shrieked. "You are just an insensitive, hurtful, ignorant JERK!" As she yelled two pumpkins exploded. James started to cry.

"Whoa!" Harry jumped between his two friends. "I don't know what's going on here but Hermione you have to calm down. You're scaring the..."

"Calm down? I'll calm down, alright. _AS SOON AS HE LEAVES_!" And with that Hermione charged passed them all and headed upstairs.

Ron went to follow her but Ginny was faster. "Ron, I think she needs some time."

"But Ginny..." Ron started.

Ginny held her hand up to her brother, "I'll talk to her. Trust me on this one, okay?"

Ron slowly nodded and Ginny and James went to find Hermione. Ron looked at Harry, not saying anything.

"I'll just clean this up," Harry said. With a few waves of his wand the pumpkin bits found the trash bin and the stains on the carpet slowly vanished. When he finished, Harry found Ron slouched in an armchair with his head in his hands.

"Let's take a walk," Harry suggested.

"I should stay here," Ron said. "Just in case."

"Something tells me they're going to be up there a while," Harry grabbed his jacket. "Come on."

* * *

><p>The night had a slight chill but the sky was clear as Harry and Ron walked down the quiet street. Something about the fresh air seemed to give Ron a little more confidence.<p>

"Did you see how mental that was?" Ron asked.

"What did you do?"

Ron's brows furrowed, "Why does everyone always assume it's something _I_ did?"

Harry shot Ron a look, "Do you really want me to answer that?"

Ron rolled his eyes. "Alright, I don't have the best track record. But she's never made pumpkins explode! I thought it wasn't until later that all the hormones kicked in!"

Harry stopped. "Did you say hormones?"

Under the street light Harry could see Ron's face turn slightly pink.

"Yeah, um..." Ron stammered. "Hermione's pregnant."

Harry smiled, "Brilliant! Congratulations!"

Ron grinned, "Thanks."

"Then what are you fighting about? You should be celebrating."

Ron looked at his feet. "I don't know..."

Harry had a sinking feeling. "What did you say when she told you?"

"Um," Ron hesitated for a moment. They turned a corner and headed towards a deserted park.

"You are happy aren't you?"

"Of course I am!" Ron yelled.

Harry shrugged, "Well then? What's the problem?"

It all came tumbling out. "She first told me a week ago that she thought she might be. We waited for that stupid owl from St. Mungo's for five days. FIVE DAYS. We didn't even get a chance to talk about it. She's been so busy at work and every time I got up the nerve she was sleeping. Then this morning, bam! She's pregnant for sure. We were supposed to talk tonight and I don't know, I panicked!

"Uh-oh..."

Ron was not to be stopped. "I'm going to be a father. A DAD, HARRY! You know how crazy she was when Ginny was pregnant! Now with our baby she's going to be ten times worse and she'll probably grade my performance or something! Not to mention the fact that babies are expensive, we'll have to find a bigger house. All week I kept having this recurring dream that the baby was here and I lost it. What if our kid turns out to be a dark wizard because I lose him at the park one day?"

Harry tried to interject but Ron was now in the clutches of full on panic.

"What if she needs me and I can't take care of her? I get moody. Remember when I left you guys during the search for the horcruxes? She'll leave me for good if I freak out like that again and I'll have to go back to life in hiding!"

After his tirade, Ron stopped for a breather. He leaned against the wrought iron fence that surrounded the park. "What am I going to do?"

Harry patted his friend's shoulder, "It's going to be okay."

"When we got home, I couldn't say anything. All these thoughts kept running through my mind. She knew it too. She started crying and I tried to tell her I was excited but she didn't believe me. I screwed it all up."

"She'll forgive you."

"But this isn't like the other times," Ron said.

Harry smiled, "Trust me. You just have to be honest with her. She'll calm down and you'll talk."

"If I tell her I panicked, she'll hate me even more!"

"She loves you, and I think it's expected for new dad's to panic. You just did it a little earlier than most of us," Harry smiled. "I went through it too. Once you get past the panic stage you realize it's a bunch of crap. You'll look at her with the baby and see that every moment is worth it."

Ron digested this for a moment. "I really am happy," he said after several minutes had passed.

"I know."

Slowly the normal color came back to Ron's face. "It will be neat to have a kid around. Teach him tricks and quidditch."

"Don't make him a Chudley Cannons fan. At least give him a chance," Harry grinned.

"Very funny Harry." Ron straightened up. "She's forgiven me for worse. I bet I could make it up to her."

"Sure. Should we rehearse so my wife won't kill me when all the pumpkins are in the trash?"

The two friends started walking again, laughing back to the house.

* * *

><p>Hermione and Ginny were in the nursery. Ginny was rocking James, hoping he would fall asleep. Hermione was still fuming.<p>

"I can't believe he was such a _jerk_," Hermione ranted.

"Well..." Ginny tried to reply but Hermione would interrupt.

"This is supposed to be one of the happiest times of our lives and all he can do is stare at me like I'm some creature that crawled out of the black lake!"

"I'm sure..."

"It's not like I just sprang it on him. We planned to have children one day, and I DID tell` him that it might be a possibility!" Hermione noticed a basket of laundry in the corner and started furiously folding clothes. "Maybe I'm a little scared too. Did he ever think of that? Oh no, it's all about him! I'm the one that's pregnant! I'm the one who has to carry the baby, and change my diet and other unmentionable things!"

"_Hermione!_" Ginny said, still trying to get the baby to sleep. "You have to calm down! It's not good to be this worked up, for you or my future niece or nephew."

"Easy for you to say, I bet Harry never did this to you!" Hermione's eyes were threatening tears.

Ginny laughed. "Of course Harry panicked! All men do that, only with Harry I had to drag it out of him before he would actually tell me. It was like pulling teeth!"

Hermione stood still for a moment. Ginny took advantage of the silence.

"Look, I know my brother. I know he can be an impossible git sometimes. He's stubborn, never says the right thing, and he was never one for tact." Hermione crossed her arms and grumbled to herself.

"However," Ginny continued, "I also know that he loves you more than anything in this whole world. I know that he will make this up to you, and that he will spend the rest of his life loving his family."

Hermione sniffed loudly. Ginny walked over to her friend. "And by family, I mean you and your baby."

Hermione gave a watery smile. She placed a hand on her abdomen, as if waiting for someone to reach back. "I can't believe I'm pregnant," she whispered.

Ginny smiled back, "At least you have all the research!"

The two women laughed. Hermione blushed a little. "I do go a bit overboard sometimes, don't I?"

Ginny tilted her head, "Just one of the many quirks that make us love you."

"Don't you ever get tired of having us barge in your house?"

"Are you kidding?" Ginny said. "After growing up in the Burrow, this is nothing!"

James was fighting a losing battle with sleep. He watched dreamily as his mother and godmother talked about things he didn't understand. Ginny had rocked him the whole time and the soothing motion was irresistible to a young man of six months. Ginny had just placed him gently in the crib when his eyes popped open.

"Oh no," Ginny groaned quietly. "Go back to sleep little darling, you have a big day tomorrow."

"Dada," James said, his eyes watching the door.

"Daddy will be home soon," Ginny promised.

Hermione walked over to the crib. "Ginny, Harry told me that he sensed me right before I rang the bell. I think he knows that Harry is home!"

Sure enough, a minute later they heard the front door open and close. Their husband's muffled voices resonated up the stairs.

"How can he know that?" Hermione wondered aloud, concentration flashing in her eyes.

"I don't know. Do you think it's because he's magical?"

Hermione didn't have a chance to answer, the was a soft knock on the door as Harry peeked his head around the door. "How's it going in here?"

Hermione didn't say anything and looked out the window. Ginny gave her husband a small kiss. "It's going...okay," she said.

"Can I speak to her alone?" Harry whispered.

Ginny nodded. "I'll be down stairs if you need anything."

Harry and Hermione were alone. He was the first to speak. "Ron's down stairs."

"I know," Hermione said.

"We went for a walk," Harry walked to the crib and gave his son a kiss. Hermione still hadn't turned around. "We talked about some things."

"Well isn't that great," she said, her voice breaking a bit. "He'll talk to every one in the country but he can't even talk to his wife."

"He does want to talk to," Harry protested. "For the past hour, all we've talked about is you...and the baby."

Hermione turned around. Her arms were folded but Harry could tell she was more sad than angry. "I don't know if I want to talk to him."

"I understand," Harry said as he picked up the toys that James was throwing out of the crib. James laughed every time a toy would magically fly back onto his bed. "Although I think you still should talk to him."

Hermione shot him a dirty look.

"Or at least let him talk to you!" Harry put his arm around his friend. "The sooner you talk the sooner you can start celebrating, for real this time."

"You know," she said, "I'm supposed to be the logical one around here."

"Babies and logic don't always mix," Harry grinned.

Hermione rolled her eyes.

James started to whine. He was awake and cranky, upset that his father and godmother had not picked him up. His little hands reached out for his father.

"I better bring him to Ginny, there's no stopping him when he gets cranky," Harry scooped his son out of his crib. "Should I tell Ron that he should stay in the living room for a bit?"

Hermione sighed. "No. You might have a small point, I should at least hear what he has to say."

Harry smiled triumphantly. "I'll send him up,"

Hermione put a hand on her hip, "I said a small point!"

Harry laughed as he and James walked towards the door. Before he left, Harry turned around. "By the way...congratulations."

Hermione smiled. "Thanks Harry."

* * *

><p>Sorry for the delay, promise not to leave you hanging again. One more chapter coming up, stay tuned!<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

My dear readers welcome to the final chapter. Thank you for reading and enjoying the story. For those of you following Divination with Prof. Trelawney, check your crystal balls for a sequel in the near future. =)

* * *

><p>Ron took a deep breath before knocking on the door. He crossed his fingers, a childhood habit he could not quite shake, and knocked softly. He waited but was greeted with silence. Unsure of what to do, he raised his hand to knock again but surprisingly the door decided to open. Hermione appeared before him, folding her arms. Her eyes were puffy and her face was set in a scowl.<p>

"Hi," Ron managed to say, deciding to take the initiative.

"You came all the way up here to say hi?" she said, her tone did not have its usual softness.

"I...can I talk to you?"

"I suppose," she said curtly, averting her eyes as she reluctantly let him in the room.

He turned around to face her. Even though she was angry with him, she could still take his breath away. _Please let me not screw this up_, he pleaded silently.

"Well?" She clearly was waiting for him.

Ron took another breath and steadied his thoughts. "Hermione, I'm so sorry."

Hermione let out a slightly exasperated laugh, "That's supposed to make things right again, is it? A simple '_I'm sorry_' and everything will be right as roses? No way Weasley, not this time."

"I know. You deserve better than that," he walked towards her but she moved away. "I feel like an ass. This baby is celebration and I ruined this for you. I ruined it for me."

A lone tear slid down Hermione's face. "You completely panicked. You were rude, hurtful and now I don't know if I can trust you. I need your support, I'm nervous too. You think this pregnancy is going to be easy on me? I'm not your mother, I am your wife. I can't always make things less scary for you. Sometimes you need to be the bloody strong one."

"I want to be the strong one," Ron said. "I can't take back what I did, I wish I could with all my heart but I can't. But I will be there from this moment on. I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you."

"When I knew for sure that we were having this baby, I felt different. We created something, it's both you and me. I couldn't wait to get home and share this amazing feeling. I thought you would feel the same and that it would make our love stronger. But no, our first day and we didn't even get to be happy!"

"Everything will be different," he said, moving closer to her again. Once more she tried to back away but he wouldn't let her. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. She tried to push him away but his arms felt so strong and she almost forgot how much she loved kissing him. He could taste the tears that escaped down her cheeks. He looked at her beautiful face and gently dried her eyes.

"I know I messed things up. I know you are hurt and I promise to never make you feel that way again. I love you so much. I've always loved you, ever since we were eleven and you drove me absolutely crazy," he smiled. She couldn't help but let out a small laugh. "This baby is amazing news. The baby was never the problem. It was always me, being think-headed and dealing with bad thoughts instead of the happy ones."

"Yeah, well, I always did say you had the emotional range of a teaspoon," Hermione half smiled.

"I'll let you have that one just for tonight," He grinned. "So, will you give me a chance to show you how much I love you and start tonight over?"

Her eyes glanced down. "Are you really happy about this? You're not going to freak out and leave me are you? Because if you don't want this baby then..."

Ron tilted her head up so her eyes would meet his, "Don't even finish that thought. I will never leave you Hermione Weasley. Wild centaurs couldn't drag me away from you. I'm all in, always. As for this one," he placed his hand on her stomach. "I can't wait to meet him or her. I have loads of stuff to teach 'em and I was thinking that we could work on that back room and make it really cheerful..."

Hermione threw her arms around his neck and held him tight. "I love you Ron," she mumbled into his neck.

"Always," he said, never wanting to let go.

* * *

><p>Harry and Ginny sat in the kitchen. James was in his bouncy chair but had finally succumbed to sleep. Ginny was busy making tea and Harry sat at the table absently staring at the Daily Prophet, both straining to listen for any noises upstairs.<p>

"It's awfully quiet up there," Ginny said.

"You don't think she killed him do you?" Harry asked.

"Oh Harry, _come on_!" Ginny shook her head.

"What? It's a good question! You haven't been there for the really ugly fights like I have..." Harry said.

There was a creak on the staircase. Harry and Ginny went back to looking busy. It seemed appropriate not to be seen as snooping, despite the fact that their home was currently the safe house of a war zone.

"Hey mate."

Harry and Ginny both looked and saw Hermione and Ron hand in hand. There seemed to be no trace of Hermione's magic on Ron. That was a good sign.

"Hey," Harry said, standing up. "How's it going?"

"It's better," Ron smiled.

"So I take it..." Ginny started.

"Ron and I are going to start the night over, starting with going home and celebrating properly," The light had come back in Hermione's eyes again.

There was a flurry of talking. The Potters congratulated Ron and Hermione again and Harry offered butterbeer to make a toast. The Weasley's declined, protesting that they had encroached on their good friends' evening for too long.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Ginny said. "You know you're welcome any time."

Ron and Hermione said their warm thanks and within a few minutes, after kisses and handshakes good-bye and eager promises to return tomorrow, they were on their way home.

Harry and Ginny smiled a little wearily after they had gone. Some things will never change.

* * *

><p>When the next day arrived, there was excitement in the air. Halloween had officially begun. It was a crisp day, the red and golden leaves swayed to a silent melody and clouds managed to hold off the rain. James Potter's parents thanked the stars above that the little boy slept to the late hour of 10 a.m. because of last night's adventure. This gave them time to finish the last minute preparations.<p>

The pumpkins found their places and hovered in the air and quiet music floated around the house from the small radio in the dining room. Everything was very colorful and festive as Ginny supervised bountiful trays of goodies onto the dining room table. The table was set with a gorgeous purple lace table cloth. In the middle there was a black porcelain candelabra surrounded by crimson and gold flowers and a dozen tiny pumpkins and gourds. Harry snuck up behind Ginny as she looked at the table. He held her and kissed her neck.

"Everything looks beautiful," he said.

Around six p.m., after the sun had made it's final retreat for the evening, Harry made sure the front path to the door was clear and that it was lined with glowing pumpkins to light the way. He was straightening the sign on the front door that read '_**Happy Halloween!**_' when he heard some one shout his name.

"_Harrryyyyyyyy_!"

Harry turned and broke out into a smile as he saw his young godson, Teddy, run up the path and jump into his arms. Behind him followed his grandmother, Andromeda Tonks. She smiled but waited for her grandson to finish greeting his godfather. For being seven and a half, Teddy had a very tight squeeze.

"Happy Halloween Teddy!" Harry managed to say after Teddy released him.

"Happy Halloween!" Teddy smiled from ear to ear. Harry noticed that today Teddy was wearing a black cape and his hair was bright orange. It was not much of a surprise. Like his mother before him, Teddy was a metamorphmagus. He could change his appearance at will. Even though he was still quite young, Teddy's grasp on his powers grew stronger with each day. Although most of the time he was not aware he was using them.

"Where's Ginny? I have a present for you!"

"She's inside getting James ready, why don't you go ahead and we'll catch up," Harry said as he opened the door.

"Alright, but hurry!" Teddy ran inside.

Harry turned and offered his arm to Andromeda, she gladly took it. "Hello stranger," he smiled.

She laughed, "Hello Harry dear. Happy Halloween."

Harry led her inside. Andromeda was a graceful woman in her early fifties. She was quite pretty with long brown hair gracefully swooped into a twist and very kind eyes. She had the handsome air that belonged to the Black family that reminded Harry very much of Sirius, who had been her cousin. And like her cousin Sirius, she had not chosen the pure blood mania and had even rebelled as far as marrying a muggle, the late Ted Tonks. After the death of her husband, her daughter Nymphadora and her son-in-law Remus Lupin, Andromeda was grateful to have Teddy. His little spirit brought some of the light back to her life. So had the relationship with Harry Potter and the Weasley clan.

Harry and Andromeda had never expected to form a friendship. But years of watching Teddy grow, along with sharing the tremendous loss in their hearts, forged a strong relationship. Also seeing as Teddy spent as much time with Harry as he did with his grandmother, it was only natural for Andromeda to be part of the family as well.

Harry took Andromeda's coat as she looked around Potter cottage. "You and Ginny have done a wonderful job."

"Thanks but it was mostly Ginny. I was just a helper," Harry said.

"Teddy could not wait to get here. He's been wearing that cape since he woke up this morning," Andromeda smiled. "He's also determined to sleep here tonight but I told him we'll have to see. You'll have so much to do after the party."

Harry was about to speak but Teddy came roaring down the stairs, cape flying, with a half eaten pumpkin pasty in hand. "Harry! You were supposed to look at my present!"

"Teddy, were you allowed to eat that pasty yet? Did you even ask?" Andromeda asked.

Teddy gave his most innocent look towards his grandmother. "Yes Grandmother. Ginny said I could have one! She said I could eat only the kitchen ones because they were extra and she knew I would be hungry."

Harry laughed. "She must like you then huh?"

"She loves me. I'm her best helper, I put James' socks on his feet," Teddy said proudly.

"So what's this I hear about a present?" Harry said.

Teddy clasped his hand against his forehead. "I almost forgot!" He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a folded piece of parchment. On the front was scribbled in very large block letters MY FAMILY. Harry opened the paper and on the inside were an assortment of colorful stick figures as well as pumpkins, stars and squiggely lines. "I drew a picture of the party for you."

"This looks great," Harry said. "Who's all here?"

Harry kneeled so Teddy could see the picture. "That's Grandmother, Ginny, James, Ron, Hermione, Aunt Molly and Uncle Arthur, George, Victoire..." the list went on until he reached the middle of the paper. "And that's you and me."

Teddy pointed to two stick figures standing together holding hands. Harry saw his stick figure self had large glasses and was holding a broom. The stick figure Teddy was holding a large square. "What's that?" Harry asked.

"That's a picture of Mummy and Daddy!" Teddy said, thinking the picture was totally obvious. "You know, since they only live in pictures now."

Harry felt a a little tug at his heart. "Thanks Teddy. I love it."

"I knew you would," Teddy beamed and hugged his godfather.

* * *

><p>The guests started arriving at Potter Cottage as the moon rose high in the sky. Molly and Arthur soon arrived bringing Victoire with them. Bill had a head cold and Fleur stayed with him. Victoire and Teddy wasted no time in running off together, ready to for whatever mischief laid in store for them. George arrived with a large box from the shop, including a bit of fireworks.<p>

"For later," George winked at Harry.

George also brought another surprise, he had brought a date to the party. Angelina Johnson strolled in behind George, blushing slightly. Everyone tried to act naturally and not point out that she was the first date George had brought home ever. Nor did anyone mention that she was the first friend George had spent time with outside the family since Fred died.

Neville had sent an owl with Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans and a note saying how sorry he was he couldn't be there. He had to stay at Hogwarts where he was a teacher's assistant in Herbology. Professor Sprout was grooming him to takeover her position. Hagrid managed to squeeze himself into a corner and was merrily drinking a tankard of mead. Luna arrived bringing a small pot with dirigible plums as a gift. Harry thanked her, placing the pot in the kitchen. Harry had learned not to question Luna's more unusual gifts.

Percy brought his fiancee Audrey. She was a quiet girl who was pleasant enough and hung onto every word Percy said. A minor detail that was often the subject of light teasing by Ron and George.

It was well after 7:30 before Ginny noted that Ron and Hermione were not there. It was rare that Hermione was late to anything but Harry and Ginny secretly laughed. They had a good idea why they would be late that particular evening. It was 8 o'clock when Harry opened the door to find his two best friends laughing and nuzzling.

Harry raised an eyebrow. "And who are you again?" he teased.

"Sorry we're late," Ron grinned.

"We got delayed, so sorry Harry. Are we the last?" Hermione said. For the first time ever, she was not flustered at having arrived late.

"Feeling better?" Harry snickered.

"Definitely," Ron said, he and Hermione turning slightly red.

Harry couldn't help but laugh. "Come on, before Teddy hides all the pumpkin pasties for himself."

* * *

><p>Potter cottage was full of light and laughter as the evening wore on. The air smelled like pumpkin spice and the glow from the jack-o-lanterns never faded. James was having the best time. He adored sitting on everyone's lap and laughed with delight as watched George, Teddy and Victoire play with the tricks from joke shop. Molly had to be restrained several times from cleaning up. Harry once again had to explain the muggle version of Halloween to Arthur, who had endless questions. Hermione would jump in occasionally but then had to further explain what a ballerina costume was. Ron never left her side unless it was to get her a drink.<p>

After most of the food had been cleared away, George suggested that they start the firework display and head outside. Everyone was about to find their coats when Ron cleared his throat.

"Just a minute," he said, his voice quavering a bit.

The room stopped and looked at him. Harry and Ginny caught each other's eye.

"Hermione and I have a little announcement." Hermione stood up slowly as Ron took her hand. She was smiling brilliantly but could not help but turn a fantastic shade of pink.

"Well," Ron cleared his throat. "We are...what I mean is..."

Hermione gave Ron's hand a quick squeeze. "Ron and I are expecting."

There was a second of silence before everyone jumped out their seats, bursting with congratulations. Molly grasped Ron and Hermione into a bear hug, threatening to never let them go. Arthur had the handkerchief at the ready and Andromeda warmly shook his hand. Percy shook Ron's hand and George called out, "Way to go Ronniekins!" Hagrid raised his glass and wiped his eyes. Audrey, Angelina, Luna and Ginny surrounded Hermione, giggling wildly.

Teddy and Victoire peeked their heads out from their hiding spot under the table to see what the adults were making such a fuss over. They couldn't figure what the hugging and crying was about. Teddy crawled secretly past everyone's feet until he reached Harry, Victoire following closely behind. Teddy tugged at his godfather's hand. Harry looked down finding two pairs of eyes watching him.

Harry kneeled down beside them. "What's up you two?"

"Why's everyone crying?" Teddy asked.

"Ron and Hermione are going to have a baby," Harry said.

"But Uncle Harry, why does that make everyone sad?" Victoire questioned.

Harry smiled. "They're not sad. They are crying because they're so happy for them."

Teddy looked at his godfather skeptically, "Harry, that doesn't make any sense!"

"You're right," Harry agreed. "But you'll understand when you grow up," Harry said.

Teddy and Victoire looked at each other and shrugged. "Grown ups are so _weird_!" Teddy decided. Victoire nodded her head, "_Oui en effet_!"

"Why don't you give Hermione a hug," Harry suggested.

"Alright," Teddy said, grabbing Victoire's hand. As they tried to make their way through the crowd of adults swarming Ron and Hermione, Harry heard Teddy whisper to Victoire, "I hope I don't get this weird when I grow up!"

Harry smiled. He loved his family.

* * *

><p>The fireworks that George set off that night were fantastic. Harry and Ron magically conjured a dozen green folding chairs while the party moved outside. Hermione created a nice blue flame to keep them warm in the cool air. The group sat in the back garden watching the sky as it lit up with dazzling lights. Ginny held James, who was clapping with every explosion. Harry held his little family in his arms, absently rubbing Ginny's back. Hermione was sitting on Ron's lap, hands entwined. Arthur was holding Victoire and Molly and Andromeda were sitting together. Luna and Angelina toasted marshmellows as they watched the sky. Teddy tried to sneak closer to George, hoping he'd get the chance to set off a firework. However, each time he was caught and reluctantly he marched back to his spot on the grass.<p>

Sooner than anyone would have liked, the party wound down and it was time for people to leave. One by one, each guest took their leave thanking Harry and Ginny for a wonderful evening. It was a Halloween to remember. They found Victoire and Teddy back in their hiding spot under the table, fast asleep. Molly and Arthur, who carried the sleeping Victoire, offered to clean up but Ginny insisted that they go home.

"Thank you for a lovely evening," Luna said dreamily. "Remember to check the dirigible plums for nargles," she advised.

"Thanks Luna." Harry hugged her good-bye.

Andromeda found her coat and said good bye to Harry and Ginny.

"I'll wake him," Harry said. He leaned under the table and gently shook his godson's shoulder. "Teddy boy, it's time to wake up."

Teddy mumbled incoherently. Harry picked him up. "I think he's staying here tonight."

Andromeda smiled, "Are you sure it's not too much..."

Ginny shook her head. "We always love having him. Besides he'll probably be in that sugar coma until late tomorrow morning." Ginny laughed.

"I'll drop him off tomorrow," Harry said.

Andromeda kissed Teddy's forehead and hugged the Potters. "Sweet dreams you three. Good night."

Ginny walked Andromeda to the door and Harry carried Teddy upstairs. Teddy always slept in James' room when he came over. As Harry quietly carried him into the room he saw Ginny had already laid out the little cot that Teddy used whenever he slept over. Ginny was always one step ahead. He changed Teddy into a pair of pajamas that Andromeda had given them to keep and tucked Teddy in. James was sleeping peacefully in his crib.

When Harry walked back downstairs only Ron and Hermione remained. Hermione and Ginny were wrapping the leftovers and Ron was extinguishing pumpkins.

"Excellent Halloween," Ron said.

"Between the fireworks and baby news, I'd say it was pretty successful," Harry smiled.

"Yeah well, I figured since we were together and all..."

"And since you want to make sure Hermione doesn't get mad at you again..." Harry teased.

"Hey I am a proud father and I want to show it off," Ron said as a matter of factly.

Harry laughed. "Welcome to the club mate."

The four friends talked around the kitchen table as the night carried on, snacking one last time before bed. It was past midnight when Ginny and Harry finally climbed into bed, happily exhausted. Ginny snuggled against Harry, her head resting in the crook of his arm.

"The party was great," Harry said. "You did an amazing job."

"Thanks babe," Ginny said, her fingers tracing the slope of his jaw. Harry closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation against his skin. "You did a wonderful job too."

"Anything for you," he said softly. "And for James too."

"I'm glad Ron and Hermione told everyone," Ginny said.

"Me too. They deserve their moment in the sun," Harry agreed.

"Yeah, it saved me from making a speech."

Harry glanced at his wife. Her face was shining in the moonlight. "What do mean?"

"Well," Ginny propped herself up on her arm. "I wanted to tell you, but I didn't want to steal the thunder..."

Harry's heart skipped a beat.

"And I wanted to wait until I was sure. Then Ron and Hermione had that awful fight and I couldn't tell you then. It's their first baby, tonight was their night to have the attention.

"You mean..."

Ginny's eyes sparkled. "We're having a baby."


	6. Part 2Chapter 1

Welcome dear readers! This is a little Part 2 to "Beautiful Boy", it will lay the foundation for the next phase of our story, the long awaited sequel! Enjoy and let me know what you think!

And as always, Harry Potter and the wondrous world he belongs in was created by the amazing J.K. Rowling.

* * *

><p>Ginny Potter was on bed rest and she was not happy about it. Not only was she unhappy about it but she seemed determined to make sure everyone knew just how miserable she was. Ginny, who was always so calm, level headed and good humored, became more impossible to deal with each passing day. Of course, it didn't help matters that she was nine months into a pregnancy that seemed to drag along like a surreal nightmare. Harry Potter, the father to be, tried to stay out of his wife's way.<p>

Summer had come to Godric's Hollow with record breaking heat waves. The grass and trees were parched and yellow as July descended upon them. The air was still, the humidity suffocating. It was during this month that Ginny could no longer fight the healer's wishes and grudgingly agreed to bed rest. Ginny's pregnancy with her first child, James, had been fairly pleasant. Light morning sickness, no lack of energy and only slight mood swings. So when she discovered a second baby was on the way, Ginny took it in her stride. The Potters eagerly looked forward to their newest arrival. However, just after Christmas things took a bad turn.

First was the intense morning sickness. The smell of food was unbearable. The sight of breakfast and dinner was nothing short of mutiny. Not even one of Molly Weasley's magical dishes could save the day, so Ginny was forced to tolerate mild broths and the occasional vegetable. Harry resorted to eating out of Ginny's sight and took charge of James' feedings. It wasn't until the middle of the sixth month when the sickness started subside, albeit lightly. Harry tentatively ate dinner with his wife again. Some days she managed to get through a whole meal without a scowl, other days Ginny didn't leave the second floor. The lack of an appetite drained Ginny's energy. It was not unusual for Harry to come home and find his wife and son sleeping soundly. At three in the morning Ginny could be downstairs folding laundry, and at five in the afternoon she could be in the middle of a two hour nap. She was determined to go about her normal business and start projects but half way through she always had to stop.

The worst were the outrageous mood swings. There was the time Harry had come home late on the one occasion Ginny had cooked a meal, a day Potter cottage would never forget. Harry was quite surprised he made it out of the house without a hex or curse flown at him. He spent the night at Ron and Hermione's, only to find Ginny in hysterics the next morning because he did not come home and she missed him. There were days Ginny deplored his very presence, the days Harry took overtime at work to avoid going home. There were days Ginny loved him more than ever, where they talked about baby names and joyfully watched James try to walk on his own. As winter gave way to spring and summer, no one knew what to expect when they went to Potter cottage. Harry tried to make life easier for his wife but nothing seemed to work. There was always something he was doing wrong. He tried not to take it personally.

James' first birthday came around in April and Ginny made it through most of the day with only a slight headache and a small appetite. Harry made sure she rested every possible moment so they could enjoy their son's birthday. James was a robust toddler now. He wasn't running quite yet, but wobbly made his way around the house. When not in his walker he crawled everywhere. James loved to explore and he was determined to discover every bit of his surroundings. Teddy was his greatest accomplice since he was now almost eight and very grown up. In three short years Teddy would be going to Hogwarts, so he had little time to teach young James all he knew about life. Which, if you asked Teddy, was a considerable amount of knowledge.

James could speak a few words by his first birthday and seemed to learn more about language every passing day. Every person was greeted with a happy "HI!" and he talked up a storm whether it was with words or his own language (while his godmother tried to encourage him every chance she got). James enjoyed his party and dove head first into his piece of cake. Harry was sure that they would be finding bits of dried blue frosting for weeks. After the party was over and Harry was cleaning kitchen and putting away the left overs, Ginny placed a hand on his back. When he saw the tears in her eyes, his stomach dropped.

"What's wrong love?"

"I can't believe our baby is one," Ginny wiped an escaped tear off her cheek. "You know, he looks more like you every day. It's amazing."

Harry smiled and wrapped his arms around her. "When I look into his eyes I see so much of you."

"Thank you for doing everything around here. I know it's been hard on you too," Ginny said, rubbing her belly.

Harry kissed her forehead. "I always want to help you. I also wanted James to have a great birthday. I think we needed a little bit of fun."

Ginny smiled but after a moment she raised an eyebrow. "What does that mean?"

"What does what mean?"

"We needed a little bit of fun? What are you trying to say?"

"Nothing! I just wanted you and James to have a good day. I love you both," Harry said.

Ginny crossed her arms. "Whatever. I'm going to go lay down."

"Okay, I'll just finish up here," Harry sighed, watching his wife climb the stairs. Sometimes it was best just to say nothing.

* * *

><p>Harry thought he was handling everything pretty well, considering the circumstances. That was until Ron found him passed out on his desk on a Wednesday afternoon, totally oblivious of the twenty-five interoffice memos flying around the ceiling. Once he got to his senses, Harry told a tale of arguing late into the night because Harry had put James' yellow socks next to his green ones.<p>

"Are you sure you have the right woman?" Ron asked unbelievingly. "It's like Ginny has a new, psychotic personality..."

"I wouldn't say psychotic..."

Ron shrugged, "Well something mental is happening to her."

"I don't know Ron. She can't eat, she can't sleep. She's always tired, sick or just miserable. I want to help her but I just make her more upset. I don't know what to say anymore."

"What do the healers say?"

Harry took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. "They say the baby is healthy and sometimes pregnancies can be difficult. We just have to watch closely and let everything run its course."

Ron was at a loss for what to say. He was silently grateful that Hermione, who was almost full term, was having a somewhat peaceful pregnancy. In true form, Hermione read every bit of information that was available. She revered Melinda Warren's What to Expect When a Witch is Expecting and had spent days highlighting passages, marking pages and taking notes. She spent months organizing, planning, and decorating the baby's room.

Putting his promise into action, Ron did whatever she asked and more. The nervousness in his eyes had vanished, in its place was excitement and a bit of confidence. Ron loved taking care of his wife. Although he would never openly admit it, he loved feeling needed. He had a hard time persuading Hermione to slow down. On top of everything, she worked round the clock to prepare her department for when she took maternity leave. Ron tried to gently suggest an assistant with more responsibility, a suggestion that didn't go into effect until Hermione's eighth month rolled around. By then, there was no possible way she could keep up with all her duties and reluctantly cut down her hours to half days at home.

With her new free time, Hermione researched difficult pregnancies, trying to offer some information that might be useful and always listened to Ginny during the bad days. However, even Hermione's empathetic support did not lift Ginny's spirits after she was bedridden. The two women would sit together and sip iced tea, Hermione trying to find a topic of interest and Ginny trying to appreciate the care but wishing to be alone. After the first week, Ginny told Hermione to stay home. No one argued, Hermione would be due in a few short weeks.

"Besides, this is Ron and Hermione's first baby," Ginny said to Harry. "They should worry about their own family, not ours." There was a sort of resigned look on her face.

Harry sat on the bed and held his wife's hand. "Whatever you want love."

Little tears fell. Harry held her for the rest of the night as she cried.

* * *

><p>It was a warm Sunday morning, three days before Harry's birthday, when Hermione went into labor and was rushed to St. Mungo's. Harry sat in the waiting area with Molly, Arthur, George, Mr. and Mrs. Granger and Hagrid. Ginny ordered Harry to the hospital after he offered to stay with her. Ginny refused to let her husband miss the birth of their best friends' baby, not to mention future niecenephew. Andromeda and Teddy spent the day with Ginny (just in case) and waited for the news of the new arrival.

In the early evening Ron emerged from the delivery room, smiling ear to ear and holding the newest Weasley.

"A pink blanket...a granddaughter!" Molly said, dabbing her eyes delightedly.

"After six boys in a row, it was only a matter of time before the girls made a come back..." George laughed.

Ron cleared the blanket from his daughter's face, a patch of soft red hair peeping through her little hat. "This is Rose," Ron said, pride beaming from his face.

There was a catch in Mrs. Granger's throat. "That was my mother's name," she said softly. Mr. Granger immediately snapped pictures with his muggle camera as they peeked at little Rose.

"She's brilliant," said Harry. "And Hermione?"

Ron smiled, "Exhausted and amazing."

After 20 emotional minutes it was time to bring Rose back to Hermione. The four grandparents decided to have lunch to celebrate their granddaughter and promised to come back to check on Hermione. (Harry noticed that Arthur wasted no time in asking Mr. Granger about his camera.) George sauntered off to announce Rose to the rest of the Weasleys and Hagrid, wiping a few tears from his eyes, rambled about having a bit of a celebratory drink. Harry was the last to leave.

"Ginny will want a full report when I get home, I better shove off."

"Hermione and I want you and Ginny to be the godparents," Ron said.

Harry smiled, "We'd be honored."

Harry took one last look at tiny Rose, his new goddaughter. Despite the Weasley red hair, Rose was all Hermione. Ron couldn't keep his eyes off of her. Harry clapped his hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Congratulations mate."

Ron looked at his best friend. "Thanks Harry. For everything."

"You did it, I'm just the godfather," Harry laughed. Ron did too. "Give Hermione a hug for me."

As Harry watched Ron and Rose disappear down the hall, he couldn't help but marvel at how real his life was.

* * *

><p>Two mornings later, Harry woke up to find Ginny staring at him.<p>

"Morning," Harry mumbled, his left arm scrambling for his glasses.

"Morning," Ginny said. She didn't look so strained as other mornings, as far as Harry could tell without his glasses anyway.

"How long have you been staring at me like that?"

"Not long," Ginny replied. "I couldn't help but think about how jealous I am that in a few short minutes you get to walk around."

"You'll get your shower this morning." Harry tried to be helpful.

Ginny rolled her eyes, "A whopping 10 minutes, then I'm back to laying here like a grub."

Harry grinned and tapped her nose, "But a very cute grub."

Ginny pushed his hand away. "I'm serious Harry! If I have to stay in this bed one more second I'll go mad."

"It's only for one more week. The baby is due next Wednesday and this will all be over and you could walk for days. I promise."

"I swear I'm going to never lay in this bed again."

"That sheds a grim light on our future now doesn't it?" Harry said.

Ginny couldn't help but laugh. "Well, maybe 'never' was a bit of an exaggeration."

Harry got up and stretched. It was Tuesday, the day before his birthday. James spent the night with Andromeda and Teddy. The house was eerily quiet without him.

"How are you feeling today?" Harry asked.

"So far so good. I think the baby is finally resting," Ginny absently stroked her belly. "Little one felt like doing somersaults in the middle of the night."

Ginny looked different this morning. Her face did not look so drawn as it had been for the past 6 months. There was a slight flush in her cheeks and there was a soft look about her that Harry hadn't seen in a while.

"I'm supposed to work late tonight but maybe I should stick around if baby is doing back flips..." Harry trailed off tentatively.

Harry's schedule was packed that Tuesday. Auror training was coming to a close and he had to supervise the final tests. There were 10 aurors-in-training who were waiting to move onto the next level and this matter could not wait any longer. Harry needed his department in order before the due date next week, especially since Ron was on leave. On top of that, there were an endless parade of meetings and a consultation with the Minister. Harry had been working round the clock the past few weeks trying to clear up his schedule as much as possible.

"You can't stay here," Ginny protested. "Today is going to be uneventful, as usual, and you need to take care of everything at work. We need to be prepared for the unexpected next week."

"Are you sure?"

Ginny nodded, "Positive. Besides, Mum will be here for her usual 'I was just in the neighborhood' and Andromeda is bringing the boys back later this afternoon. We'll be well looked after. One of the other charming aspects of bed rest is the round the clock relatives popping in."

"Is this just a cheap ploy to get me out of the house?"

Ginny laughed. "Of course."

Harry walked to her side of the bed. "Want to shower now?"

Ginny smiled, "YES!"

Harry put an arm around her head when a white orb flew into the room. The Potters looked at each other alarmed. The orb slowly morphed into a pearly wolf, a human voice rang from it's mouth. Bill Weasley's voice echoed in the room.

"George in the hospital. New product failure. Stable but banged up. Will keep posted."

As quick as it came, it was gone.

"Harry," Ginny's hand squeezed her husband's arm.

"Everything will be alright. I promise. I'll meet them at the hospital," Harry kissed her forehead and ran to the closet.

"What do you think happened?"

"I'm sure it's nothing George can't handle. He's probably just got a concussion like the dozens of other times." Harry quickly threw on his robes. "Do you want me to stay here?"

"No, go to the hospital. Make sure he's okay," Ginny said.

"I'll get a message to Andromeda and see if she can come earlier," Harry said. "I can come back before I go to the office."

"I'll talk to Andromeda and you go straight to the Ministry after you see George. I'll be fine here," Ginny insisted.

"I can be a little late," Harry started to say.

Ginny interrupted, "No! Just go. I promise I will be fine. I'll make sure I'm not alone."

Harry kissed her. "I'll check in later. You know where to find me if you need anything."

Ginny caressed his cheek slightly. "I know love."

After another kiss, Harry left the house.

Even though Ginny worried for her brother, she was glad Harry was preoccupied. She was scheming, along with the rest of the family, to throw a surprise party for Harry. It was going to be her way of saying thank you for being so strong during this insane pregnancy.

Ginny knew she should get a message to Andromeda, and ask her to come over earlier than planned. Everyone would be upset if she was left alone too long. However, as the minutes passed she didn't move, lost in her thoughts. The truth of the matter was that Ginny was tired of being treated like a ticking time bomb. It was nice to have time to herself again without some one sitting with her and watching every move. Ginny knew deep down that her family was trying to protect her and she loved them for it. But after six months of watching, sitting, worrying and a month of bed rest she was sick of the whole thing.

Ginny looked at the clock. It was 7:30. Andromeda was planning to bring the boys sometime after three. Feeling reckless, Ginny decided not to message Andromeda right away. She decided to have some time for herself. She would send a message in the late morning. Doesn't every person have a right not to be treated like a bloody child? Besides, she reasoned to herself, the boys would just be getting up and having breakfast.

The longer she thought about it, the more she warmed to the idea. Soon the minutes turned into an hour. Then another. The baby rested in her belly with only slight flutters. A little after nine, empowered by her defiance, Ginny decided to take a shower. Grabbing a fresh nightgown from her dresser, she made her way to the bathroom. What could possibly go wrong?

* * *

><p>When Harry finally got to work it was well after 8:30. His assistant met him at the elevator, updating Harry on the time adjustments to his schedule.<p>

"Is everything alright at home sir?"

Harry nodded. "My brother-in-law was in the hospital, Ginny's still at home." Harry initialed some reports and sent them to outgoing. "His new line of Skiving Snackboxes need some work. His Hilarious Hives backfired and now his entire body is swollen. It'll take them hours to deflate him. He was lucky he didn't suffocate."

"Do you want to send any messages before you go to the training field?"

Harry thought about checking on Ginny. Molly had her hands full with George and wouldn't make it to the house at all. Although, Andromeda would be there after Ginny messaged her...

"Sir?" Harry's assistant asked after a few moments.

Harry snapped out of it. Ginny was so adamant about him focusing on his work. He had to stop over worrying, it would just upset her.

"No. I'll try and get in touch with Ginny later if I have time. If she or Mrs. Tonks sends a message it has to get to me as soon as possible though."

His assistant nodded. "Of course sir."

* * *

><p>Ginny had the best shower of her life. She took extra time to condition her hair and relished the warm water running down her body. How good it was to stand again! It was strange to think of how she had taken showers for granted in the past. It was such a basic part of life that she never gave it much thought before. But now that it was something she couldn't do whenever she felt like it and had to wait for her husband to help her, it seemed like a fine luxury. She toweled off gently and enjoyed the glow of the early morning sun streaming through the window.<p>

Even though breaking the rules was thrilling, she was mindful not to be on her feet for too long. She still had to take care of herself. She walked back to her room, and reached for the moisturizer. As she looked around she frowned at the wrinkled bed sheets. Ginny really wanted to change the sheets so they could be soft and fresh but she knew that would really be pushing it.

"What should I do now?" she asked herself.

The house was so quiet. Ginny thought about James. It would be so nice to see him later, she missed him. She made a mental note to spend some extra time with him this week. It was his last week as an only child.

Ginny started to fold the sheet and blankets back, ready to get back to bed rest. Suddenly a sharp pain shot through her body. She held the foot of the bed for support and controlled her breathing. After a few moments it was gone. Slowly Ginny opened her eyes and sat perfectly still.

"No need to panic," she said aloud. "Last week of the pregnancy, I was bound to start having contractions sooner or later. Doesn't mean I'm going into labor."

After a few minutes everything seemed calm. She gingerly walked to the side of the bed and instinctively grabbed her wand off the nightstand. Ginny had almost convinced herself that it was a random contraction.

"There, nothing to worry about," she said triumphantly.

Then without warning another pain came full force. Her arms wrapped around her belly as she cried out. She sat hunched over the edge of the bed, trying to steady her breathing. The pain started somewhere around her middle but spread to every inch of her body. Ginny could feel bile rising up her throat as the pain took control. She tried to ease through the tension and after a few minutes the pain subsided. Something definitely did not feel right.

When she opened her eyes she noticed her arms were still wrapped around her belly.

"I need Harry," she said to no one. "Andromeda will get here first."

Ginny felt the bed around her for her wand. She had been sure she dropped it next to her as the contraction hit her system. She looked around her feet on the floor. It was no where.

"Where the hell is it?" she tried to keep the shrillness out of her voice.

She pushed off the bed onto her feet to look for her wand. She needed to send for help immediately. She didn't have their owl, Penny had been out hunting for two nights with no return, and apparition would be too dangerous. Patronus was her quickest, and only, option. She felt the bile in her throat rose again. The wave of pain started. The strength of it was almost too much. Her body shook and her knees grew weak. Giving into the pain she sank to the floor. Hot tears fell down her face.

She sat there, in limbo between contractions, alone. Ginny wiped her tears. She started feeling around for her wand again. She knew she would regret it but decided to look under the bed. She slid down even further and turned to her left side. Sure enough her wand was there. It must have rolled under during the second contraction. Laying as flat as she could, Ginny stretched her arm as far as possible, her finger tips just missing the handle. She inched closer, almost reaching...

Another contraction hit mid-stretch, Ginny groaned in painful frustration.

"Damnit, almost there," she cried to herself, her other hand gripping her belly.

Her wriggling fingers grasped at air, her contraction grew stronger and her tears fell swiftly as she realized she was in labor and she had no one to help her.


	7. Part 2 Chapter2

Harry really wanted to check on Ginny. He had finished the training finals and welcomed the five who managed to reach the next level. He also had words with those who did not make it and sent them to Magic Resources to discuss their options. He got through a mountain of paperwork, set up the calendar for the next few weeks so the office would run smoothly when the baby came. After completing each task, Harry was determined to see his wife. Then Cecil, his assistant, would update the day's itinerary or a rookie Auror would come into the office with a suspicious artifact, only it would turn out to be a Weasley product.

Finally it was noon and there was no stopping him. Harry left his office, heading to the elevator. Then Cecil's distinct voice caught up.

"Harry!"

_So close_, Harry thought. "I thought I might pop out for a minute to check on Ginny.."

"I'm sorry sir, but we just heard from the Minister's office and they would like to move up the meeting with the Transylvanian ambassador."

Harry had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. "Of all the times for that old bat to take a bloody holiday…" he muttered under his breath.

Cecil waited for Harry's approval.

"Right," he conceded. " What time?"

"In fifteen minutes." Cecil tried to be apologetic.

"Let's go then," Harry said. "Have you heard anything from home?"

"No, I haven't." Cecil answered while scribbling furiously into a leather date book.

_Well that's good at least_, Harry thought. Ginny must be all right, otherwise he would have heard.

Molly tended to George in the hospital. He was awake, his concussion only a slight one. The healers assured them he would be discharged home in no time.

* * *

><p>"Mum, I'm fine. You don't have to be nursemaid," George insisted.<p>

"I want to see for myself that you get sent home and right to rest. No shop nonsense." Molly said.

"It's only a little concussion. In this market, I have to stay ahead of the competition. " George winked at his mother.

Molly shook her head. No matter how successful the joke shop became, she still found ways to disapprove of the antics of her son and the absolute disregard of safety. As if she didn't have enough to do with helping Hermione and poor Ginny.

_I suppose I'll have to get to Ginny this evening,_ Molly thought. _If she really needed me Harry would call._

* * *

><p>Ron and Hermione gazed at the pink bundle between them. Hermione was propped up in bed and Ron perched on the edge of the bed. Rose nestled in the crook of Hermione's arm and Ron held them both.<p>

"Isn't she perfect?" Hermione whispered.

"Just like her mother," Ron kissed Hermione's hair.

"I suppose we won't make it to the party tomorrow night."

Ron smiled. "I don't think Harry will mind."

Hermione smiled, "I know. We have the best reason to not go."

"You know Ginny would have our heads if we worried about the party. Besides Mum and Andromeda are keeping round the clock watch on her, there might not be one if Mum has her way…"

"Isn't wonderful that Rose and her cousin will be born almost together," Hermione sighed dreamily.

Rose cooed softly. "Rosie certainly likes the idea," Ron beamed.

* * *

><p>Andromeda smiled as Teddy and James happily finished their lunches. James was just over a year old but followed Teddy everywhere. Teddy adored baby James and made it his mission in life to tell him everything he knew. He was gentle with James and was proud that his beloved Harry knew that Teddy would take good care of the baby.<p>

"Granny, can James stay over again?" Teddy asked.

"James has to go home darling, but we'll have him over again soon," Andromeda replied as she cleared their dishes.

"He's lucky, they'll be another baby at his house soon. I think Harry won't mind if we keep James," Teddy smiled innocently.

"We can't keep him dear, he's not ours."

Teddy sighed, "I know Granny."

Andromeda patted his cheek. If the world had been fairer, Teddy might have had his own brother or sister to keep…

"Come," Andromeda said, shaking sad thoughts from her mind. "Lets get James cleaned up so we can bring him home."

"Can we go to the park?" Teddy asked suddenly, excitement in his eyes.

Andromeda looked at the clock. It was only 12:30. Molly would be with her until well after lunch and Ginny wasn't expecting them for another couple hours…

* * *

><p>Ginny never had this much pain in all her life. The contractions were random and unforgiving. Her body was exhausted and drenched with sweat. Her wand was still trapped under the bed, still out of reach. The thought occurred to her to grab something to push it out but every movement was agony. Each contraction left her momentarily paralyzed and when the pain finally subsided she felt weak, struggling to catch her breath.<p>

After an hour on the floor Ginny managed to pull herself onto the bed. There was no rhyme or reason to the pain, she tried to count the minutes between but they were different times. Ginny told herself that the time to really worry was when they were a minute apart. Until then she had time to figure this out.

She tried to think of what to do but her mind was clouded and tired. Minutes creeped by and she lay there, unsure of what to do and scolding herself for being so foolish. Why hadn't she called for Andromeda earlier? Why did she have to drop her wand? Why, why, why?

Like a nightmare the day eventually carried on. It was half past one. The pains were still sporadic but increasingly painful. She knew if her mother hadn't come by yet she was probably still tied up with George. Andromeda wouldn't be come until late afternoon. Ron and Hermione were still in the hospital. Ginny ran the list of family or friends who would help her in vain. There was no way to contact them. She was on her own. All she could do was wait.

Suddenly Harry came to her mind. If only Harry were with her she wouldn't feel so afraid. This pain was new, intense and frightening. Labor with James had been nothing like this. Although she tried to tell herself everything would be fine, each contraction brought her fears closer to home. Ginny tried to be strong, she knew her baby needed her. Few things frightened Ginny, but feeling hopeless exposed the chinks in her armor. If Harry were here, she could maybe find the strength…

"Oh Harry," Ginny's eyes burned with tears. "Please come home…" She felt a familiar pull and her body tensed itself, trying to fight against the assault of pain.

In moments it was over, Ginny's heart was racing. With a sense of dread she felt wetness between her legs. Ginny struggled to prop herself up to peek around her belly. The room started to spin as she saw blood staining her nightgown.

"No!" Ginny gasped. "This can't be happening!"

Ginny twisted her body and shimmied to the end of the bed. Somehow, some way she had to get help. A contraction came as she heaved onto her feet. Wildly she looked around and decided on a book on the nightstand. It was a medium sized hardcover. It just might work. Slowly she sank to her knees. She positioned the book and forcibly slid it towards her wand. She heard the slide, the eventual roll of wood and a crash by the bedroom door.

Ginny didn't have the energy to pull herself up. On her hands and knees she crawled around the bed, hoping beyond hope her wand was on the other side. As she rounded the corner she spotted it. It was wedged under the door. She tried to crawl quickly across the room. Just as her hand reached for the wand the strongest contraction hit, causing her to stop in her tracks and collapse on the floor. The pain was all-consuming as it wracked her body. She did not have a chance to fight, only to succumb to it, surrendering to her fear. Involuntarily she screamed, calling only one word, "HARRY!"

* * *

><p>Harry was briefing the department on how things should run during his absence. The meeting was tedious but necessary. About halfway through he had the feeling something was not quite right. He tried to shrug it off. Cecil had everything in order and the department was busy taking notes. Ginny was just on his case this morning for worrying. After all, having a "feeling" was no reason to panic.<p>

Harry was answering a question when the feeling hit him again. He paused. Discreetly the Aurors looked at each other. Cecil looked up from his notes.

Harry blinked, "Sorry, what was the question?"

"Are you okay? Cecil asked.

"Yeah, I…" Harry stopped. His stomach turned. Was someone calling him?

"Sir?"

"_HARRY!" _

Ginny's voice was clear, as if she was standing next to him. Suddenly he knew. "No…"

"Sir?"

Harry looked at Cecil. "Ginny's in danger. I have to go."

Within seconds he was home. He saw his wife screaming on the floor, inches away from her wand. He saw the blood.

"GINNY!" He flew to her side.

"Harry," she moaned and a sob escaped her.

"I'm here." Harry wrapped an arm under her head. "I'm here."

The pain came again, Ginny screamed. She was powerless in his arms.

"We have to get you to the hospital."

"The baby's coming…"Ginny was breathless. "Harry please…help me. It hurts so much, please…"

"Ginny, I don't…" Harry didn't finish his sentence. Another contraction hit.

Ginny opened her eyes. She clung to his shirt like a lifeline. "Harry, I can feel it. The baby's coming…"

Harry grabbed his wand with his free hand. "_Accio pillow!" _A pillow came flying over and Harry tucked it under Ginny's head and gently placed her head down.

Tears rolled down her cheek, "I'm so tired."

"I know," Harry stroked her cheek. "Please let me get help."

"Can you see it?"

Harry gingerly rolled her nightgown past her thighs. Blood was everywhere. Harry tried to keep calm. He took a deep breath and saw the crown of a dark haired head.

"I see it!" Harry knew it was too late. Anxiously he said, "Ginny, you'll have to push."

"Harry, I can't do this."

"Yes you can," Harry said, grabbing her hands. "You are my amazing, beautiful, strong wife. I _know_ you can do this."

"I'm scared."

"I promise you," Harry looked into Ginny's eyes. "I won't let anything happen to you. I love you so much."

Ginny gave a small watery smile, "I love you."

Her breathing started to quicken. Another contraction was coming. "Push Ginny!"

Ginny moaned and started to push.

"It's coming, keep going!"

"It hurts," she moaned through gritted teeth.

"You're doing great Ginny. The head is out!"

"I can't do this…"

"You have to my love, hang in there for our baby. I know you can do this!"

Within seconds another contraction started and Ginny pushed once more.

Harry guided Ginny through her world of pain as best he could. He didn't allow himself to think of the consequences of his unskilled hands. Slowly the baby made it's way out into Harry's waiting arms.

Ginny heard a tiny squeal and Harry's voice echoing in the distance, "It's a boy!" The pain finally ceased and she plunged into darkness.


	8. Part 2 Chapter 3

Finally I present the last chapter. I am so sorry for the delay. This part was a bit difficult for me to write but the characters finally told me what direction they were heading in! Thanks for your patience and interest. Enjoy.

* * *

><p>The waiting room was quiet.<p>

Molly and Arthur Weasley sat stone-faced, their hands clasped together. Occasionally Molly would dab her tearful eyes with small pink tissues. Waiting rooms always had tissues conveniently ready for the various visitors. George sat next to his mother, absently staring at his hands. He had been discharged hours ago but he refused to leave without his family. So now he sat, his head sporting a flesh colored bandage.

Ron leaned against the wall between the seating areas. Several times he tried to approach the solitary chair in the corner with the slunk figure. In the end he stayed where he was. He wanted to help but he just didn't know what to say.

Harry sat in the chair, saying nothing with his head in his hands. He had sat in that chair for what felt like days after Ginny was whisked away by healers. His clothes were spattered with blood, his face frozen with fear. The only thing Harry could think of was his wife's pale, unresponsive face as they took her away.

Their baby boy was safely tucked away in the nursery. Despite everything, he was perfect. He had unruly black hair, just like his father. Ginny never had a chance to look at him. She lost consciousness as soon as baby boy was in the world. A healer had suggested Harry name the baby but he replied in a flat voice, "Not without his mother."

Minute after minute passed. Slowly new family members arrived. Bill came in, then Percy. Harry did not move. He heard Bill quietly explain that others wanted to come but he had managed to keep them at home. The last thing Harry needed was a crowd.

Nearly an hour passed when a healer finally entered the room. The entire clan jumped out of their seats. Harry reached her first.

"How is my wife?" He asked hurriedly.

"Mr. Potter, we are doing all that we can. Mrs. Potter lost a great deal of blood. The bleeding has finally stopped but she is still unresponsive."

Harry's eyes burned as he tried to hold back tears. He heard sobbing behind him. "What happens now?" his voice cracked, barely getting out the question.

"We are going to watch her very closely. We feel she will recover but she needs to regain her strength."

"Why did this happen?" Molly asked between sobs.

"There is no reasoning why some pregnancies are complicated and others aren't," The healer said patiently. "The body in itself is a mystery. Mrs. Potter had a difficult labor and in a controlled environment things might have been different. However, the fact that she was able to bring this baby to term and deliver him is a testament to her strength."

"Can we see her?" Arthur asked.

"I'm afraid we can only let Mr. Potter in at this time. We will keep you all posted of her progress. If you'll follow me Mr. Potter," the healer motioned towards the exit.

Harry took a deep breath and followed the healer through the hallway. They went through large wooden doors into a quieter passageway. The healer stopped before room number 11 and opened the door.

Ginny was the only occupant of the room. She was pale but looked comfortable. She wore a fresh white hospital gown. There was a single light above her bed, illuminating her face. Harry could hear her slow, soft breathing.

"I'll leave you alone for a while," the healer said, quietly leaving the room.

Harry stood for a long time at the edge of bed. Even through the most difficult labor she took his breath away. Her face was no longer contorted with pain. Her body lay gently on the bed. Eventually he found the chair next to the bed. He placed her left hand between both of his. Her wedding band shimmered in the light. Harry held her palm to his face, feeling her smooth skin, aching for her gentle touch.

"Our little boy is in the nursery," he said quietly. "He is so small and beautiful."

Ginny did not respond.

"James is still at Andromeda's. She promised to look after him until you are well," Harry could feel the tears falling down his cheeks. "Oh my love, please come back to me."

"I'm so sorry you were alone. I never should have left you," he continued as the tears came freely. "Please don't leave me. Our boys need you. I need you. My life is nothing without you…"

He kissed her hand and kept it firmly within his. "I wish I could give you any strength I have. I love you…"

Harry closed his eyes, wishing with all his heart that Ginny could hear him.

* * *

><p>He could hear someone gently calling. His surroundings were hazy. He tried to keep still, straining to hear the voice in the distance.<p>

With a start Harry's eyes opened. His hands were still holding Ginny's. His head rested on the bed beside her. Slowly he straightened up, his back muscles protesting every movement. He wasn't sure how long he had slept. His dreams were dark and filled with a voice just out of reach.

Harry searched his wife's face but nothing had changed. Her eyes were still closed; her only movements the quiet rise and fall of her chest. Minutes later a healer walked into the room, the same one from before.

"Mr. Potter," she said softly.

Harry nodded his acknowledgement.

"I've come to check on Mrs. Potter's vital signs."

"I don't want to leave," Harry replied.

The healer half smiled. "You do not have to leave. Although if you wish to step out for a moment…"

"I'm not leaving," Harry stated again.

"Alright." The healer slowly stepped towards the bed and her patient. From her pocket she pulled a quill and parchment and set them on the bedside table.

"Your son is doing well," the healer said, never looking up from Ginny. Harry watched her check Ginny's pulse and scribble notes; he noticed the quill continuously had ink.

A ghost of a smile came across Harry's face as he thought of his newborn son.

"He's had many visitors peeping through the window," the healer continued. "He's resting comfortably next to his cousin."

Of course she meant baby Rose. Hermione had not been sent home yet. She and Ron were probably anxious about Ginny. It might be good to visit with them, even for a moment. But the thought of leaving Ginny gnawed at Harry's insides.

"If you would like to see your son I could lead you to the nursery." The healer offered. "Since Mrs. Potter seems to be doing well we could allow her parents in for a few moments."

Harry knew he should check on the baby. Ginny would want him to, but he hesitated.

"You can come right back," the healer said reassuringly.

"Is she really doing well?" Harry asked.

"She is improving. Her pulse and heartbeat are strong. The bleeding has not returned and she's been resting peacefully for some time," the healer replied. "At this point we are just waiting for her to awaken."

Harry wasn't quite sure if he believed her. The healer returned the parchment to her pocket and waited for Harry to say something.

"I'm afraid she'll wake up and I won't be here," Harry said finally.

"I understand," the healer nodded. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

Harry thought for a moment. "Can you let our family know that she is doing well?"

"Of course."

"Is it possible for Mr. and Mrs. Weasley to come in while I'm here."

"We don't want to crowd the room…" the healer started.

"Please?"

She checked her watch, something he hadn't noticed before. She gave him a look that was crossed between apprehension and empathy. "I'll make an exception, but only for a few moments."

Harry smiled, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," she said before whisking out the door.

Ten minutes later, Molly and Arthur came into the room. Harry offered his chair to Molly and she gently patted his cheek. Within seconds Molly stroked her beloved daughter's hair while Arthur placed a hand on Harry's shoulder, his face etched with concern. The two men could say nothing but they could understand each other's thoughts. Arthur sighed and turned his attention to his daughter.

The image of Molly and Arthur watching their only daughter, silently agonized waiting for her return to consciousness was almost too much to bear. Harry felt a surge of emotion rise in his chest. This tender scene between parents and child was going to be his undoing all over again. Clearing his throat he turned towards the healer.

"I'd like to see my son."

She nodded and looked towards the door. "I'll be outside waiting."

Harry turned back to his wife. He kissed her forehead and whispered, "I'll be back."

"Don't worry Harry dear," Molly said, her voice shaky and soft.

* * *

><p>The nursery was not far. Harry could spot his son immediately. In the chaos of his delivery Harry had not noticed his son had the very same dark unruly hair. Harry felt himself smile for half a second. There were no pictures from when Harry was an infant, but instinct told him that his son uncannily looked like his father. He was sleeping quietly in a bassinet next to Rose. Not for the first time Harry felt tightness creep in his chest. He offered a silent plea that this boy would know his mother soon enough.<p>

"He looks just like you," a voice said softly.

Harry turned and saw Hermione behind him. She was wrapped in a pale pink robe, her brown hair tied into a ponytail. Her smile was betrayed by glittering eyes.

Harry looked back at his son, saying nothing.

"You will get through this."

"I don't understand why this is happening." Harry said. "I can defeat a dark wizard, I can harness magic, but I can't save my wife?"

Hermione gently held Harry's hand. "You of all people should know that love is the strongest magic on Earth. Ginny is strong, your love for her is strong. You must have patience that she will come back."

Together they looked at their sleeping children, so innocently unaware of the world around them.

"I feel like I'm missing something. Like the answer is right in front of me and I just can't see it," Harry said after a few moments.

Hermione squeezed his hand, "it will be alright."

"I should have been there."

"You can't beat yourself up Harry. You got there as soon as you knew something was wrong," Hermione hesitated. "How did you know?"

Harry shrugged. "I'm not sure. I just had this feeling. Suddenly I knew Ginny needed me."

* * *

><p>It was dark but Harry knew he was not alone. He could not see. A black mist surrounded him. He wasn't sure where he was or how long he had been there. A voice called in the distance.<p>

"Harry…."

It was Ginny. Harry tried to yell but he had no voice.

"Harry…." Again her voice called to him. It was growing stronger.

He tried to run but he was rooted to the spot. Quite suddenly the mist started to disperse. There was a soft glow in ahead of him.

Slowly the form of Ginny appeared before him. "Harry!"

_Ginny! _His heart cried for her.

"Harry, help me."

_I want to,_ his heart cried again. _Tell me what to do!_

"Harry, I love you…" the light started to fade.

_NO!_

Harry jolted awake. He was back in Ginny's room. His heart was pounding. A hand touched his shoulder.

"Are you alright dear?" Molly's concerned face hovered over him.

Harry quickly looked at Ginny, she still lay sleeping in bed. Her condition had not changed.

"I…had a dream," Harry said, his heart slowly calming. "Ginny was calling out to me."

"Oh Harry," Molly clamped her arms around his neck.

Harry awkwardly patted Mrs. Weasley's elbow. She eventually pulled herself together and wiped her face with a worn handkerchief.

"You are so brave my dear boy."

"Er, thanks Mrs. Weasley." Harry stood and moved closer to the bed. "I can't believe I feel asleep again."

"You need your rest. We know how much you love Ginny but you can't stop taking care of yourself either." Molly said comfortingly.

"Have the healers checked on her again?"

"Yes, unfortunately they did not notice any change," Molly sighed. "We just have to wait."

"I just don't understand…" Harry started but was interrupted when the door flew open.

Hermione burst into the room, her pink robe flying. Ron came in after her, trying to catch his breath. "Harry I think I got it!"

"What?"

"When we were talking earlier and you said suddenly you just knew that Ginny was in trouble, I just kept thinking about it and you said you felt like something is missing…"Hermione rattled on excitedly. "Well it's obvious!"

"What's obvious? Hermione, what are you talking about?"

"The connection, your connection with Ginny! All families have a connection, love binds us to one another and that's how you knew something was wrong! Love is the answer! Love saved you before and maybe it can help her now."

Everyone looked at Hermione like she had three heads.

"I was saved by love because my mother died for me," Harry said. "Are you suggesting…"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Of course not! But there has to be a way you can tap into it."

"Is that really possible?" Ron asked.

"With magic, anything is possible," Hermione replied.

"The dreams," Harry said.

"What dreams?"

"Ginny's been calling to me in my dreams. Could it be our connection?"

Hermione's eyes lit up. "It has to be."

"I couldn't move or anything in the dream, I could only hear her," Harry said.

"There has to be a different way to tap into the connection," Hermione began to pace back and forth.

"Are you saying Ginny is trapped?" Molly said. They had forgotten for a moment she was in the room.

"There must be something that is keeping her unconscious. The healers say that she is better but there is nothing else for them to do," Ron pointed out.

"It's like she's under a sleeping spell," Hermione said to herself.

"But how is Harry's love going to help?"

"I wonder…"Hermione said. "Harry do you remember Sleeping Beauty?"

"Sleeping what?" Ron asked.

"It's a muggle fairy tale," Harry, being raised by muggles like Hermione, knew their fairy tales very well.

"Sleeping Beauty was cursed to sleep for all eternity but she was awoken by True Love's Kiss," Hermione quickly explained.

"But Ginny isn't cursed!" Molly exclaimed.

"No but she won't awaken." Harry knew where Hermione was going.

"It's a long shot," Harry said.

"A ridiculous long shot," Ron protested. "Muggle fairy tales are not true! They don't even understand magic."

"Dumbledore told me that my mother's love protecting me was very old magic, something that no one would have suspected or understood," Harry said. A ray of hope danced before him.

"It's possible that this could be old magic too," Hermione finished.

"What else do I have to lose?" Harry shrugged and looked at his two best friends.

Harry sat on the edge of the bed. He placed Ginny's hand in his and took a deep breath. "I love you," he whispered and bent forward to kiss her softly on her lips.

As he kissed his wife, Harry willed his love and strength to reach Ginny. He thought of the many special moments, he thought of their children, he thought of every ounce of love he had for her. A soft light began to radiate from the couple; Harry could feel warmth passing between them. He held on tight, not wanting to let go. In his heart he kept repeating, _I love you, I love you, I love you…._

After what felt like hours, he felt a jolt and knew he had to let go. Slowly he opened his eyes and leaned back to look at her face. Everyone waited with bated breath. A moment went by and still nothing. This had to work…Harry felt his heart sink as another moment passed…

Suddenly she flinched.

"Ginny?" Harry questioned, his heart pounding in his ears.

At the sound of his voice, Ginny opened her eyes. She smiled and raised her free hand to caress Harry's face.

"I knew you would find me," she said.

"Oh Ginny!" Harry wrapped his arms around her.

Molly just about collapsed with tears and relief. Hermione and Ron flew to her side and together they approached the bed. "We must get your father, quickly!"

Harry and Ginny held onto each other.

"I thought I'd lost you," Harry whispered into her ear.

"Never," She whispered back.

* * *

><p>The news spread like wildfire that Ginny was awake and doing well. She felt better than she had in months. Within hours she felt almost normal and was declared no longer in immediate danger. After the entire family was satisfied that she was alright, they begrudgingly went home for a quick meal and change of clothes. Molly and Arthur however chose to remain in the hospital, just to stay close by. The healers tutted among themselves that they knew she would make a full recovery. Very few people knew what had actually happened.<p>

Ginny was overjoyed to finally meet her new son. Harry and Ginny lay in the hospital bed with the baby between them. Harry couldn't stop himself from caressing his wife, marveling that she truly was there.

"When will I see James? Is he okay?" Ginny asked for the fifth time.

Harry smiled. "He's fine. I told you Andromeda will bring him tomorrow morning." He kissed her forehead, "I've never been so scared."

Ginny looked into his eyes. "I know, but I knew you find me."

"Love," Harry said simply.

"Love," Ginny nodded. Harry had told her everything that had happened.

"Promise me you'll never put yourself in danger again," Harry said, his eyes bright and serious.

"Harry…."

"No, promise me."

"I promise my love," Ginny said. Again they kissed. The baby softly cooed.

"We need to name him," Ginny pointed out.

"Any suggestions?"

"What do you think?"

Harry sighed. "Well, I was thinking, what about Albus Severus?"

Ginny looked at him questioningly.

"They were two great wizards and big factors in my life," Harry started. "But most of all, they are two people who taught me about love. They showed me that love is strong and a magic all its own. I think our son will always be a reminder that love can do extraordinary things."

"I think it's perfect," Ginny whispered.

Harry watched Albus and Ginny drift off to sleep. He was grateful for his wife's safety and his two precious sons. Once again his life could resume, filled with more than ever before.


End file.
